Media

• Computer games


  The primary concerns about computer games and aggression are that:•Desensitisation- Continued exposure to violence within gaming may have a desensitization effect and the individuals playing these games will also get an experience of positive reinforcement from using violence. (Physiological)•Disinhibition- Over time, some may not see violence in real life as inappropriate or wrong.(links to SLT)•Cognitive priming- Violent images in video games provide scriptsregarding violence that can be stored in memory and triggered in a perceived aggressive situation.
• Delisi et al (2013) - AO3 support

  Studied 227 juvenile offenders all with histories of serious aggressive behaviours, e.g hitting a teacher of gang fighting. Using structured interviews, they gathered data on several measures of aggression and violent computer game playing.Found significant correlation between aggressive behaviour, how often they play violent video games, and how much they enjoy playing them
• Anderson et al - AO3 support


  Performed a meta-analysis of 136 studies which included different types of methodology (lab, correlational, longitudinal).Found exposure to violent computer games was associated with an increase in aggressive behaviours, thoughts and feelings.Findings were true for both males and females across collectivist and individualist cultures. Particularly significant results were found in high quality studies. Analysis also showed there was no indication of publication bias.
• Harris - AO3 limitation

  Found that there could beseveral positive outcomes from playing computer games. For example: relaxation, high self-esteem (from completing levels), coordination, puzzle solving, education and rehabilitation (for soldiers recovering from war).
• Limitation of research into computer games

  Research into video game violence has failed to control for other variables such asmental health and family life, which may have impacted the results. Children who are already at risk may be more likely to choose to play violent video games.
• What is desensitisation?


  Repeated exposure to violence reduces normal levels of physiological and psychological arousal associated with anxiety, making aggressive behaviour more likely.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
• Krahe et al (2011) - AO3 support


  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.
• Strengths of desensitisation


  Desensitisation can also have anadaptive role.For example, within the armed forces, a degree of desensitisation allows combat troops to be more effective in their roles. This suggests that desensitisation to violenceshould be encouraged in certain job rolesto enhance performance rather than being seen as a threat.
• Limitations of desensitisation


  other explanations, biological - genetics etc

  Krahé et al.'sstudy failed to find a link between media viewing, low arousal and provoked aggression.This suggests that desensitisation may not explain the impact of violent media exposure on all forms of aggressive behaviour.
• What is disinhibition?

  Normal social constraints against certain behaviours can be weakened by environmental triggers. These behaviours then appear temporarily socially acceptable and therefore more likely.Most people hold the view that violence and aggression are antisocial and harmful, therefore there are powerful social and psychological inhibitors against using aggression to solve interpersonal conflicts.Inhibitors are learned directly and indirectly through SLT.Inhibitors are loosened after exposure to violent media.Video games often reward violence and its consequences are minimised or ignored. This creates new social norms for the viewer.
• Berkowitz (1973) - AO3 support


  Demonstrated that when pps were exposed to media depicting violence as a form of vengeance, they were more likely to participate in longer acts of aggression (electric shocks) when there was a perceived justification for it. This supports disinhibitionHowever, disinhibition may only apply to certain forms of media with the strongest effect being computer games and not others. This suggests an issue with generalising the view that all forms of media can lead to disinhibition and aggression.
• Goranson - AO3 support


  Found that participants who were shown a video of a boxing match without a negative consequence were more likely to then act in a violent way themselves compared to those who saw the video with a negative consequence. This does support the idea that a lack of vicarious punishment may lead to disinhibition in others.
• Limitations of disinhibition


  genetic explanations argue that the MAOA gene (also known as the warrior gene may be responsible for aggressive behaviour as some variations of this gene lead to lower levels of serotonin and therefore less control over aggressive impulses. This provides analternative explanation to disinhibitionas the cause of aggressive behaviour and challenges the influence of family socialisation.

  Evolutionary psychologists who would also challenge the view that the media is responsible for aggression. Instead, they seeaggression as an adaptive behaviour that is needed for survivaland prefer to use examples of sexual competition or sexual jealousy to explain male aggression rather than violence in the media.
• What is cognitive priming?


  violent images provide ready-made scripts about aggression which are stored in memory (Huesmann 1998) and triggered with aggression cues. Process is mostly automatic.
• Huesmann (1998) - AO3 support


  Played song lyrics to males containing aggressively derogatory lyrics about women. Compared with neutral lyrics, participants recalled more negative qualities about women and behaved more aggressively towards a female confederate. This supports the idea that the music acted as a source of cognitive priming.
• Murray (2007) - AO3 support

  Using fMRI brain scans of children, hefound that those watching violence had increased activity in brain areas associated with emotion and the storing of personal memories. This research supports the idea that watching violence therefore may lead to cognitive priming (violent scripts that are being stored).
• Limitations of cognitive priming

  Cognitive priming may lead to pro-social rather than anti-social behaviour. Research byHolloway (1977)found that participants who overheard a pro-social message on the radio before participating in a study involving bargaining, were more cooperative than those who did not hear the message. This suggests thatcognitive priming can be used for pro-social responses and could be a helpful psychological process.

  Genetic explanations would disagree that cognitive priming through violent media is the cause of aggression. It may in fact be the MAOA gene (also known as the warrior gene) that is responsible for aggressive behaviour as some variations of this gene lead to lower levels of serotonin and therefore less control over aggressive impulses.This provides analternative explanationto cognitive priming as the cause of aggressive behaviour.