Media Influences on Aggression including the effects of computer games, the role of
desensitisation, disinhibition and cognitive priming
There are two related topics of this subsection:
- Media influences – role of desensitisation, disinhibition, cognitive priming
- The effects of computer games
We can make a distinction between these two as in the first we are passively watching
violent/aggressive media content, whereas in the second of these we are actively playing violent
aggressive computer games.
Key question is:
Does a) passively watching or b) actively playing this content make you:
- More aggressive
- Less aggressive
- Neither more nor less
The theories covered on the specification:
Desensitisation, disinhibition and cognitive priming, are based on the assumption that both
passively watching and actively playing this content makes you more aggressive
Therefore, we can use the other two arguments (that passively watching and actively playing this
content makes you less aggressive or that it doesn’t affect you) to criticise this viewpoint in the
A03.
The role of desensitisation, disinhibition and cognitive priming
Desensitisation
Physiological
Witnessing violent events usually leads to an increase in physiological arousal, driven by
the sympathetic nervous system. These are the responses to fight or flight in the
biopsychology topic: increased heart rate etc.
Desensitisation means a loss of sensitivity. Desensitisation suggests that the more
aggression/violence we are exposed to, the less sensitive we are towards aggression.
The more aggression/violence we are exposed to, the more habituated we become to
it and the less impact aggressive stimuli will have on our physiological reactions.
Whereas media aggression would have triggered physiological arousal, with repeated
exposure it no longer triggers this arousal.
, Repeated exposure to violence reduces normal levels of physiological arousal
associated with anxiety. This is likely to make us less anxious in a violent situation,
making us more likely to behave aggressively.
Disinhibition
Psychological
Inhibitions are the ‘brakes’ or restraints on behaviour that stop us from acting in certain
ways.
Disinhibition means a loss of inhibitions. Disinhibition suggests that the more we are
exposed to media aggression, the less “inhibited” we are about aggression, the more
normal it becomes, “freeing” us to act aggressively.
Disinhibition focuses on psychological changes rather than physiological changes.
When violence is portrayed in the media, it is often normalised; made to appear normal
and socially acceptable. These aggressive behaviours then appear to be more socially
acceptable to us and therefore it is more likely that we will act aggressively.
Regular exposure to violent video content could reduce our inhibitions, leaving us
disinhibited. If we lose our inhibitions, we feel freed up to behave more aggressively.
Cognitive Priming
As “primed” means “ready” and “cognitive” refers to thinking, “cognitive priming” means
“ready to think” - in this case, ready to think aggressively.
Cognitive priming suggests that when we are exposed to media aggression, we store
“scripts” or schemas about using aggression to solve the problems that we face in real
life.
The more media aggression we see, the more “scripts” or schemas about using
aggression we store and the more primed we are to act aggressively.
Our scripts/schemas are activated when we encounter situations that have things in
common with those memories or scripts. A similarity between the situation we are in
and the script we have stored (e.g. the presence of a knife block in a kitchen) can activate
the schema, making it more likely that we will act aggressively.
The more aggressive scripts we have stored in our memory, the more likely we are to
interpret cues in the environment as aggressive. This process is thought to occur
automatically and will direct our behaviour without us being aware of it.
desensitisation, disinhibition and cognitive priming
There are two related topics of this subsection:
- Media influences – role of desensitisation, disinhibition, cognitive priming
- The effects of computer games
We can make a distinction between these two as in the first we are passively watching
violent/aggressive media content, whereas in the second of these we are actively playing violent
aggressive computer games.
Key question is:
Does a) passively watching or b) actively playing this content make you:
- More aggressive
- Less aggressive
- Neither more nor less
The theories covered on the specification:
Desensitisation, disinhibition and cognitive priming, are based on the assumption that both
passively watching and actively playing this content makes you more aggressive
Therefore, we can use the other two arguments (that passively watching and actively playing this
content makes you less aggressive or that it doesn’t affect you) to criticise this viewpoint in the
A03.
The role of desensitisation, disinhibition and cognitive priming
Desensitisation
Physiological
Witnessing violent events usually leads to an increase in physiological arousal, driven by
the sympathetic nervous system. These are the responses to fight or flight in the
biopsychology topic: increased heart rate etc.
Desensitisation means a loss of sensitivity. Desensitisation suggests that the more
aggression/violence we are exposed to, the less sensitive we are towards aggression.
The more aggression/violence we are exposed to, the more habituated we become to
it and the less impact aggressive stimuli will have on our physiological reactions.
Whereas media aggression would have triggered physiological arousal, with repeated
exposure it no longer triggers this arousal.
, Repeated exposure to violence reduces normal levels of physiological arousal
associated with anxiety. This is likely to make us less anxious in a violent situation,
making us more likely to behave aggressively.
Disinhibition
Psychological
Inhibitions are the ‘brakes’ or restraints on behaviour that stop us from acting in certain
ways.
Disinhibition means a loss of inhibitions. Disinhibition suggests that the more we are
exposed to media aggression, the less “inhibited” we are about aggression, the more
normal it becomes, “freeing” us to act aggressively.
Disinhibition focuses on psychological changes rather than physiological changes.
When violence is portrayed in the media, it is often normalised; made to appear normal
and socially acceptable. These aggressive behaviours then appear to be more socially
acceptable to us and therefore it is more likely that we will act aggressively.
Regular exposure to violent video content could reduce our inhibitions, leaving us
disinhibited. If we lose our inhibitions, we feel freed up to behave more aggressively.
Cognitive Priming
As “primed” means “ready” and “cognitive” refers to thinking, “cognitive priming” means
“ready to think” - in this case, ready to think aggressively.
Cognitive priming suggests that when we are exposed to media aggression, we store
“scripts” or schemas about using aggression to solve the problems that we face in real
life.
The more media aggression we see, the more “scripts” or schemas about using
aggression we store and the more primed we are to act aggressively.
Our scripts/schemas are activated when we encounter situations that have things in
common with those memories or scripts. A similarity between the situation we are in
and the script we have stored (e.g. the presence of a knife block in a kitchen) can activate
the schema, making it more likely that we will act aggressively.
The more aggressive scripts we have stored in our memory, the more likely we are to
interpret cues in the environment as aggressive. This process is thought to occur
automatically and will direct our behaviour without us being aware of it.
