media violence discussion questions n how do you define media violence? (what actions constitute...
Post on 21-Dec-2015
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Media Violence
Discussion Questions How do you define media violence?
(What actions constitute violence?)
Do you think there is too much, too little or just the right amount of violence in the media?
How does media violence affect you?
How do you think media violence affects others?
Are the mass media the cause of aberrant behavior?
Positive effects of media violence
Cathartic effect
Media violence can be positive
People release violent inclinations by seeing them portrayed
Socially positive action
Media portrayals of violence can increase awareness of social problems
Negative effects of media violence
Aggressive stimulation theory
Media-depicted violence has potential to cue real-life violence
Albert Bandura’s Bobo doll study
Criticized for overstating cause-and-effect connections
Criticisms of aggressive stimulation theory
Causality is overstated
Conclusions are simplistic
Much of the evidence is anecdotal
Other factors could be involved
Aggressive people may gravitate
toward violent media
Catalytic theory
Media may have a role in violence
But media don’t necessarily trigger violence
Media trigger violence only when certain non-media factors are also present
Violence is rewarded Media exposure is heavy Violent person meets a certain profile
Contributing factors
Violence is realistic and exciting
Violence rights a wrong
Violence includes characters & situations similar to viewer’s own experience
Bottom line
Violence is far too complex to be explained by a single factor
Effects of media violence vary from person to person
Desensitizing theory
People becoming hardened by media violence
Society’s tolerance for antisocial behavior is increasing
Applies to news media also
Time for a quiz
“Mean-world syndrome”
George Gerbner
T.V. violence makes people think they’re in greater danger than they really are
The more T.V. people watch, the more likely they are to give the “T.V. answer”
Poses a threat to democracy
The Debate Over Media Violence Effects
CHILDREN, VIOLENCE, AND THE MEDIA
A Report for Parents and Policy Makers
Senate Committee on the Judiciary
Senator Orrin G. Hatch, Utah, Chairman
Committee on the Judiciary
“By age 18 an American child will have seen 16,000 simulated murders and 200,000 acts of violence.”
“Television alone is responsible for 10% of youth violence.”
“More than 1,000 studies on the effects of television and film violence have been done over the past 40 years.”
“The majority of these studies reach the same conclusion: television and film violence leads to real-world violence.”
“The existing research shows beyond a doubt that media violence is linked to youth violence.”
Side 1:Media violence DOES promote violent behavior in young people
Huesmann & Moise
Research shows that media violence has a strong effect on audience
Short-term changes after exposure
Physical attacks on people & inanimate objects
Media violence primes/cues aggression
Viewing habits of young children predicts subsequent aggression
Exposure to violence leads to arousal, desensitization & acceptance
Side 2:Media violence DOES NOT promote violent behavior in young people
Freedman Counters "powerful effects"
argument
Laboratory studies unrealistic (demand characteristics)
Results inconsistent & inconclusive
Children know the difference between real & fiction
Correlations small (1-10%)
Not necessarily causal
For some children under some conditions, some television is harmful. For other children under the same conditions, or for the same children under other conditions, it may be beneficial. For most children, under most conditions, most television is neither particularly harmful nor particularly beneficial.
Wilbur Schramm, Jack Lyle, Edwin Parker