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Summary Discuss explanations of media influences on aggression essay plan
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Outline and evaluate one or more (3)explanations of media influences on
aggression
Desensitisation
Desensitisation – explanations based on this assume that, under normal
conditions, anxiety about violence inhibits its use. Media violence may lead to
aggressive behaviour by removing this anxiety.
The more televised violence a child watches, the more acceptable aggressive
behaviour becomes for that child.
Frequent viewing of televisions violence may cause children to be less anxious
about violence.
Someone who becomes desensitized to violence may therefore perceive it as
more ‘normal’, therefore more likely to engage in violence themselves.
Desensitisation to media violence typically takes a long time – a result of
numerous repeated exposures to violent films or computer games.
One indication that desensitization has occurred is a reduction in
physiological arousal (e.g., heart rate) when individuals are exposed to real
violence.
Desensitised individuals are less likely to notice violence in real life, they feel
less sympathy for the victims of violence and they have less negative attitudes
towards violence, all of which would increase the likelihood of aggressive
responses in real-life.
STRENGTH
P – There is research support for desensitization
E – For example, participants who watched an aggressive rape scene were more
accepting of sexual aggression and felt less sympathy towards the rape victim and
thus less likely to convict the offender when placed into court than people who did not
watch a violent rape scene.
E – This research can lead to real-life applications in the justice system. For example,
knowing that some people are desensitized to violence may mean that we must
ensure that the jury are not desensitized to aggression when convicting a criminal,
otherwise this would have an effect on their decision.
L – Therefore, research into desensitization can have an impact on how decisions are
made in court, which may lead to more just and fair decisions regarding the sentence
of the convict.
Disinhibition
Our ideas of the acceptability of harming others are primarily acquired through
social transmission, including exposure to moral messages on TV.
The justification of violence in the media is, therefore, one of the ways in which
children can infer standards of acceptable behaviour.
According to the disinhibition explanation, watching or playing violent media
may change these standards of what is considered acceptable
behaviour.
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