Summary
A* Summary of Desensitisation, Disinhibition and Cognitive Priming - AQA A Level Psychology
- Module
- Aggression
- Institution
- AQA
Achieved A* with these notes Concise yet high quality terminology used throughout Exemplary
[Show more]
Content preview
DeWall and Anderson’s (2011) General Aggression Model suggests that desensitisation,disinhibition and cogntive priming all act together, along with other influences, to explain
long term effects of habitual use of violent media
1. Desensitisation
Reduced sensitivity to a stimulus
Psychological (eg less emotional response) or physiological (eg lowered heart rate)
Behaviour such as aggression more likely
(Normal response to violence is sympathetic arousal – fight or flight)
Role of desensitisation
Funk et al (2004) found that repeated exposure to violent media promotes a belief
that using aggression as a method of resolving conflict is socially acceptable
+ negative attitudes towards violence weaken, less empathy is felt for victims, and
their injuries are minimised and dismissed (correlation)
These changes suggest that a form of desensitisation has occurred
Weisz and Earls (1995)
Lab study demonstrated these desensitisation effects:
Showed their participants the feature film Straw Dogs, which contain a prolonged
and graphic scene of rape
Participants then watched a re-enactment of a rape trail
Compared with those who watched a non-sexually violent film, male viewers of
Straw Dogs showed greater acceptance of rape myths and sexual aggression
Also expressed less sympathy towards the rape victim in the trail, and were less
likely to find the defendant guilty
No such effect of film type of female participants
Krahé et al (2011) - Research support
Showed participants violent and non violent films while measuring physiological
arousal using skin conductance
Findings:
P’s who were habitual viewers of violent media showed lower levels of arousal as
they watched the violent film clips
Gave louder bursts of white noise (a measure of aggression) to a condensate without
being provoked (proactive aggression)
Lower arousal in violent media users reflects desensitisation to the effects of
violence, and it was also linked to greater willingness to be aggressive
Limitation of desensitisation is that it cannot explain some aggression
Study by Krahé et al failed to link media viewing, lower arousal and provoked
(reactive aggression)
More valid explanation for this might be catharsis
Psychodynamic theory suggests that viewing violent media is a safety valve, allowing
people to release aggressive impulses without behaving violently
Therefore, not all aggression is the result of desensitisation and alternative
explanations may be more valid
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller studytogether. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for £3.99. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
Can Stuvia be trusted?
4.6 stars on Google & Trustpilot (+1000 reviews)
69052 documents were sold in the last 30 days
Founded in 2010, the go-to place to buy revision notes and other study material for 15 years now