8/2/2019 Media Influences on Antisocial Behaviour

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Media Influences on Antisocial Behaviour

Desensitisation Frequent viewing of violence may cause children to become

desensitised. This would mean they would feel less anxious about violence and

would be more likely to behave violently.

The more aggression they watch, the more acceptable aggression becomes.Cumberpatch people might get used to screen violence, but this doesnt mean

they will also get used to violent in the real world. Screen violence is more likely to

make them frightened, rather than make them frightening

Cognitive PrimingAfter a violent programme, the viewer is ready to behave aggressively as memories

involving aggression are retrieved.

Frequent exposure to violence may lead children to store ideas for aggressive behaviour, which may

be recalled if any aspect on the viewed situation is present.

Study a group of hockey players were shown a violent film, & another group a non-violent

film with an actor holding a walkie-talkie. In a hockey game later, players behaved most

aggressively if theyd seen the violent film & the referee was holding a walkie-talkie. The

walkie-talkie was a cue for aggression.

Is it ethical to expose people to violence for research purposes? It may cause psychological harm or

induce violent behaviour. A lot of research into this area involves children, which may be particularly

damaging to their development, perhaps causing them to behave violently in the future.

JustificationTV violence provides moral guidelines on what is and isnt acceptable.

When violence is justified or goes unpunished, this reduces the viewers guilt or concern about

consequences. TV violence may also give the impression that violence can solve problems e.g. Batman

used violence to fight crime.

The TV series The A-Team presents the good guys behaving violently. Such

shows support the idea that media violence justifies the violence of the

viewer. The use of aggression by these prosocial characters justifies theiraggression, which the children eagerly identify.

Reductionist: may not simply be due to seeing violence, may be genes etc

Support: Real Life Application - Case study ofJames Bulger In 1993 a 2yr old boy was abducted

and murdered by two 10yr old boys. Police found they had been exposed to aggressive films such

as Childs Play 3, classified as certificate 18.

The exposure to aggressive media may have contributed to their violent behaviour.

However, this link could never be proved

Despite these suggestions and research support: St. Helena case study TV wasintroduced to a community but there were no differences in either prosocial or

antisocial behaviour