desensitisation

• Desensitisation - repeated exposure to violence reduces normal levels of physiological and psychological arousal associated with anxiety making aggressive behaviour more likely.
• When children repeatedly view aggression on TV or in video games, they become habituated to its effects. So a stimulus that is usually aversive has a diminishing impact, resulting in a reduction in anxiety and physiological arousal on repeated viewing or playing
• Repeated exposure to violent media promotes the belief that using aggression as a method of resolving conflict is socially acceptable. Negative attitudes towards violence weaken, less empathy felt for victims, their injuries are minimised and dismissed (Funk et al 2004).
• Weisz and Earls (1995) showed pps the film ‘Straw Dogs’, which included a graphic rape scene. Pps were then shown a rape reenactment trial.
• Krahe et al showed pps violent (and non-violent) video clips whilst measuring physiological arousal. Pps who have previously watched lots of violent films demonstrated lower levels of physiological arousal when shown the violent video clips.
• Compared with those who watched a non-sexually violent film, male viewers of straw dogs showed greater acceptance of rape myths and less sympathy to the victim and were less likely to find the defendant guilty. There was no such effect on female pps