Media Influences on Aggression (AQA A Level Psychology): Flashcards

False.

Links have been suggested but remain highly contested, and no causal relationship has been established.

Exposure to violent computer games increases the risk of desensitisation, which may increase aggression and decrease prosocial behaviour.

After 20 minutes of a violent game, participants watching real violence showed lower heart rate and skin response, suggesting physiological desensitisation.

Across 136 studies, violent game exposure was associated with more aggressive behaviour, thoughts and feelings for both sexes and across collectivist and individualist cultures.

fMRI showed regular violent gamers had no difference in empathy-related brain activity from non-players when viewing people in pain.

Two hypotheses fit: the socialisation hypothesis (games cause aggression) and the selection hypothesis (aggressive people choose violent games).

Understanding these processes could inform intervention strategies by challenging attitudes normalised through media.

Blaming games for violent incidents may stereotype gamers, especially young males, and ignore wider causes of aggression.

Not everyone exposed to violent games becomes aggressive, suggesting an element of free will in behaviour.

Repeated exposure promotes the belief that aggression is a socially acceptable way to resolve conflict. Negative attitudes weaken and empathy for victims falls (Funk et al., 2004).

Frequent exposure to violent media can cause a numbing effect, where aggression no longer seems shocking or morally wrong.

Male viewers of Straw Dogs showed more acceptance of rape myths, less sympathy for the victim in a mock trial and were less likely to convict. There was no effect for females.

After a violent game, participants had lower heart rate and galvanic skin response while watching real violence, suggesting physiological desensitisation.

Disinhibition is the loosening of the usual restraints against aggression after exposure to violent media, breaking social norms learned through social learning.

They view violence as antisocial and harmful, so powerful social and psychological inhibitions are learned directly and indirectly.

It portrays violence as justified and rewarded with minimal consequences for victims, creating new social norms for the viewer.

A teenage boy thinks violence is an acceptable way to deal with problems because his favourite film character behaves that way.

Participants who saw aggression depicted as vengeance gave more and longer shocks, so media violence presented as justified disinhibits aggression.

Naturally high-aggressive boys played floor hockey more aggressively after a violent TV programme than low-aggressive boys who watched the same programme.

Cognitive priming is how environmental cues trigger aggression. Huesmann (1998) argues repeated violent media provides a script stored in memory so we are 'ready' to be aggressive.

False.

It is mostly automatic. Scripts direct behaviour without awareness when cues in a situation are perceived as aggressive.

Men who heard derogatory lyrics about women recalled more negative qualities about women and behaved more aggressively to a female confederate. Replicated with women.

Participants primed to expect a violent film gave higher shocks to a confederate than those expecting a neutral film.

Bushman (1998) found participants who watched a violent video had faster reaction times to aggressive words.

Viewers access stored aggressive scripts more readily, interpret cues as aggressive and fail to consider alternatives, so interventions could challenge hostile biases.

Through weaponless combat games that emphasise resolution rather than conflict.

Habitual violent media viewers showed lower arousal to violent clips, but this correlated only with proactive aggression, so desensitisation may not explain all aggression.

Viewing violent media may act as a safety valve releasing aggressive impulses, which would also produce lower arousal in habitual viewers.

False.

They suggest exposure determines aggression automatically through priming or disinhibition, challenging free will.

They may cause public concern and demonise gamers or viewers without sufficient evidence, leading to moral panic or unjustified censorship.