Media influence

What is the basic assumption about media and aggression?

The media influences aggression hypothesis suggests that exposure to violent media, including video games, television, and films, increases the likelihood of aggressive behaviour in real life through learning, imitation, and cognitive effects.

How does operant conditioning explain aggression in video games (Skinner)?

From a behaviourist perspective, aggression in video games is shaped through operant conditioning, where players are rewarded for aggressive actions (positive reinforcement) and punished for mistakes (e.g. game over), strengthening aggressive behavioural patterns.

How does Social Learning Theory explain video game aggression?

According to Bandura, players may learn aggression by observing and imitating characters in video games, especially when aggressive behaviour is rewarded or linked to positive outcomes, leading to vicarious reinforcement.

What is disinhibition in relation to video games?

Disinhibition occurs when repeated exposure to virtual violence reduces feelings of guilt or restraint, meaning individuals become less sensitive to aggression and more likely to behave aggressively in real life.

What are the four SLT processes involved in video game aggression?

Attention, retention, reproduction, and motivation are all required for imitation, and video games actively engage these processes, increasing the likelihood that aggressive behaviours will be learned and reproduced.

What is the General Aggression Model (GAM)?

The General Aggression Model (Anderson and Dill) proposes that exposure to violent media affects thoughts, emotions, and physiological arousal, increasing the likelihood of aggressive behaviour through cognitive priming and learning.

How does GAM explain aggression development?

GAM suggests that repeated exposure to violent environments (including games) leads to the development of aggressive scripts, making aggressive responses more accessible and more likely in real-life situations.

How does Anderson support GAM?

Anderson’s meta-analysis of 35 studies found that exposure to violent video games is associated with increased aggressive thoughts, emotions, and behaviour, as well as reduced helping behaviour, supporting the General Aggression Model.

What does Anderson’s meta-analysis suggest about aggression?

It suggests that violent media has consistent small-to-moderate effects on aggression across multiple studies, supporting the idea that media exposure can influence real-world behaviour.

How does Ritterfeld and Mathiak support biological explanations?

Ritterfeld and Mathiak found that during violent video game play, emotional areas of the brain showed reduced activation, suggesting a desensitisation effect similar to real-life violent situations.

What does Ritterfeld and Mathiak’s study suggest about aggression?

It suggests that violent gaming may temporarily reduce emotional responsiveness, potentially making aggressive behaviour easier to carry out.

How does the hydraulic model challenge media aggression theory?

The hydraulic (catharsis) model suggests that violent video games may actually reduce aggression by providing a safe outlet for aggressive energy, preventing real-world aggression.

Why is catharsis a limitation of media aggression theories?

If video games reduce frustration and aggression, then exposure to violence may have a calming effect rather than increasing real-world aggression.

What is a limitation of laboratory studies on video game aggression?

Many studies lack ecological validity because participants know they are in an experiment, meaning aggressive behaviour may not reflect real-life actions.

Why is the link between video games and aggression not fully causal?

Much of the evidence is correlational, meaning it is unclear whether violent games cause aggression or whether aggressive individuals are more likely to choose violent games.

How does SLT strengthen the explanation of media aggression?

SLT provides a clear mechanism for learning aggression through modelling, reinforcement, and cognitive scripts, making it more psychologically detailed than simple stimulus-response explanations.

What is a key real-world implication of media aggression research?

Findings have influenced policies such as age ratings, content warnings, and media regulation (e.g. watershed rules) to reduce children’s exposure to violent content.

What is a limitation of the General Aggression Model?

GAM may be overly deterministic, as it assumes exposure to violent media automatically increases aggression, ignoring individual differences such as personality and self-control.

Why is media aggression research sometimes criticised as reductionist?

It reduces complex human behaviour to media exposure alone, ignoring biological, emotional, and social influences on aggression.