Media Influences On Aggression

What is the media?

Communication channels, such as TV, film and books, through which news, entertainment, education and data are made available.

What may aggressive behaviour be linked to?

Viewing ‘excessive‘ amounts of TV, regardless of whether the content is violent or not.

What did Robertson et al. measure?

The TV viewing hours of over 1000 New Zealanders at regular intervals up to the age of 26 years.

What did Robertson et al. find?

That time spent watching TV in childhood and adolescence was a reliable predictor of aggressive behaviour in early adulthood (defined as convictions for aggressive and violent crimes). According to the researchers, excessive time spent watching TV is associated with reduced social interaction and poorer educational achievement, meaning the link may be indirect (for example, due to reduced social interaction).

What is perhaps the most significant media influence on aggressive behaviour?

Viewing violent content.

When Bandura et al. repeated their earlier study, using a film of the Bobo doll being beaten by an adult model, what did they find?

The outcome was similar, with children imitating the aggressive behaviour of the model (and also of a cartoon version). The social learning processes identified by Bandura operate through media as well as face-to-face.

What has other research found about the negative effects of TV/film?

That they are not as strong as often assumed.

What did Paik and Comstock find in their meta-analysis?

A positive correlation between viewing TV/film violence and antisocial behaviour.

What are computer games?

A game generally played on-screen using a keyboard, mouse or other controller. Types include simulations, first-person shooters, adventures, sports and role-playing games, often conducted using an online service.

What growing evidence is there about computer (and video) games?

That they may have more powerful effects than traditional screen-based media.

Why might video games have more powerful effects that traditional screen-based media?

• The player takes a more active role compared to a relatively passive viewer.

• Game-playing is more directly rewarding for the player (operant conditioning).

What is the advantage of lab experiments of aggression?

They can demonstrate cause and effect.

What is the limitation of lab studies of aggression?

They have the disadvantage of deliberately exposing participants to violence to encourage aggressive behaviour.

What happens in the Taylor competitive reaction time task (TCRTT)?

Participants deliver blasts of white noise at chosen volumes to punish a (non-existent) opponent.

What did Bartholow and Anderson find?

When they used the TCRTT, students who plated a violent computer for ten minutes (Motal Kombat) selected significant higher volumes of white noise than students who played a non-violent golfing game.

What other methods have been used to study aggression?

Correlational methods.

What is a common finding of correlational studies?

That several measures of aggression are positively correlated with time spend playing violent games.

What do DeLisi et al. argue about the link between time playing violent games and aggression?

That the link is so well-established, that aggression should be considered a public health issue (like HIV/AIDS) and computer game violence a significant risk factor.

What are the limitations of research into media influences on aggression?

• Defining aggression.

• Unsupported conclusions.

How is defining agggression a limitation of research into media influences on aggression?

Aggression is defined in various ways: for example, the dependent variable in studies on this spread is violent behaviour (DeLisi et al.), volume of white noise blasted at an opponent (Bartholow and Anderson) and criminal convictions (Robertson et al.). However, violence and aggression are not exactly the same behaviour. All violence is aggression, but not all aggression is violence and not all aggression or violence is necessarily criminal. The effects found in studies depend very much on how aggression is defined.

What does defining aggression mean?

This variation in definitions means that the findings of studies are hard to compare.

What is the counterpoint to defining aggression?

However, meta-analyses can help to overcome this problem. For instance, Anderson et al. conducted a comprehensive meta-analysis which included 136 studies defining aggression in different ways (e.g. in terms of behaviours, thoughts and feelings). The researchers found that exposure to violent computer games was associated with increases in all outcome measures of aggression, for both women and men. Furthermore, the higher quality studies in the analysis showed an even greater significant effect.

What does the counterpoint to defining aggression mean?

That therefore, meta-analyses that include various definitions of aggression are a valid method for uncovering the effects of media on aggression.

How is unsupported conclusions a limitation of research into media influences on aggression?

This research area is plagued by unsupported conclusions: There are several reasons why we should maintain a sense of balance First, many research studies are methodologically weak (e.g. confounding variables, poor sampling methods). Even meta-analyses are not perfect on the basis of GIGO (Garbage In Garbage Out) - if poor-quality studies are included, the analysis will also be poor-quality. Secondly, many studies are correlational so cause-and-effect conclusions are unjustified. Thirdly, experimental studies lack external validity (eg. unrealistic measures of aggression), so findings cannot be generalised to the real world.

What does unsupported conclusions mean?

That therefore some researchers may be guilty of drawing premature conclusions based on findings that lack validity

What is the strength of research into media influences on aggression?

Explaining research finings.

How is explaining research findings a strength of research into media influences on aggression?

Findings can be explained using social learning theory. Anderson et al. present SLT as a convincing theoretical framework' (as shown by the Bobo doll studies of Bandura et al.). They note that it is widely accepted that exposure to violence at home, for example, is harmful to children. Logically, it makes sense that TV and computer/video games are other sources of social learning. Children are more likely to imitate aggressive behaviours when they see them being rewarded (vicarious reinforcement), and even more so when children identify with on-screen characters.

What does explaining research finding mean?

This is a key feature of science - having a unifying explanation to account for findings, enhancing the validity of this research.