Bellwork Question Do you feel that music, television, movies, etc. can play a role in ones aggressiveness? Why or why not?

Objective 4.3 Discuss the effects of short-term and long-term exposure to violence.

What are you being asked to do?  Talk in general about the effects of exposure to violence.  Introduce the assumption that short term effects and long term effects exist within violence exposure  Discuss both effects with the use of reference to relevant research.  Provide critical analysis in your discussion to show an understanding of each effect by evaluating research, and providing explicit examples of each effect.

Violence exposure  While violence is not new to the human race, it is an increasing problem in modern society. With greater access to firearms and explosives, the scope and efficiency of violent behavior has had serious consequences.  We need only look at the recent school shootings and the escalating rate of youth homicides among urban adolescents to appreciate the extent of this ominous trend.  One can simply type in “violence” on their YouTube browser and immediately become exposed to violence!

 Violence seems to be culturally in “high demand” as movies, video games, music videos, and even cartoons are becoming increasingly violent.  This acceptable tolerance for violence seems to have its effects on our society… The extent to which violent exposure effects our youth have been debated in psychology for over 50 years dating back to Bandura’s research (this can be briefly mentioned in your introduction to show a general knowledge of the history of aggression research).

Bandura’s “short term” model  Bandura as well as other social psychologists in the 1960s-1970s painted a vivid picture of temporary exposure to violence leading to temporary aggression.  The research does suggest that the Aggressive model would have an effect on the children… But was it a situational change or a dispositional change?

Bandura’s “short term” model  One can hypothesize that constant exposure to situational factors can lead to a change in dispositional factors (i.e. seeing someone for a long period of time can change the way you feel about the person).  Psychologists have argued this same theory with exposure to violence…In this lecture, we will explore the effects of SHORT TERM AND LONG TERM exposure to violence.  To limit the scope of the lecture, we will limit our lecture to the effects of short term and long term exposure to media violence.

Exposure to media violence  While the causes of youth violence are multifactorial and include such variables as poverty, family psychopathology, child abuse, exposure to domestic and community violence, substance abuse and other psychiatric disorders, the research literature is quite compelling that children's exposure to media violence plays an important role in the etiology of violent behavior.  While it is difficult to determine which children who have experienced televised violence are at greatest risk, there appears to be a strong correlation between media violence and aggressive behavior with low resilience to violence exposure.

DQ #1 What do we mean by “resilience to violence exposure”?

Resilience  Resilience in psychology refers to the idea of an individual's tendency to cope with exposure to negative situations.  In this context, resiliency is the ability to resist aggressive behavior in spite of being exposed to violent media. Many children and “at risk” teen-agers do not have high resiliency thus are more prone to effected by violent media.

How does media violence result in aggressive behavior?  Some researchers have demonstrated that very young children will imitate aggressive acts on TV in their play with peers.  Before age 4, children are unable to distinguish between fact and fantasy (and have little resilience to violence exposure) and may view violence as an ordinary occurrence (as was the case with Bandura’s children).

Video on violent media and aggression  ming-can-lead-to-more-aggression_tech ming-can-lead-to-more-aggression_tech

Research on short term exposure to violence  After half a century of research, the empirical evidence regarding the negative effects of violent television, movies and video games is overwhelming.  Research as consistently found that dispositional aggression, as well as self-reported, peer-reported and teacher-reported aggressive behavior correlates with exposure to violent television shows and video games.

Research on short term exposure to violence  After half a century of research, the empirical evidence regarding the negative effects of violent television, movies and video games is overwhelming.  Research as consistently found that dispositional aggression, as well as self-reported, peer-reported and teacher-reported aggressive behavior correlates with exposure to violent television shows and video games.

Research on short term exposure to violence  Experimental studies have consistently demonstrated that watching violent television, movie scenes and playing violent video games increases aggressive behaviors (measured by increases in cortisol and testosterone levels), and increases hostile expectations for others’ behaviors.  For example, Berkowitz (1990) proposes that violent media automatically prime aggressive thoughts and feelings, which subsequently prime aggressive action tendencies.

Physiological changes from violent media  Watching violent television programs or video games may affect children's minds even if they don't have a history of aggressive behavior, a 2005 FSU neuroscience study shows (Matthews, 2005).  Researchers found nonaggressive children who had been exposed to high levels of media violence had similar patterns of activity in an area of the brain linked to self- control and attention as aggressive children who had been diagnosed with disruptive behavior disorder.

Physiological changes from violent media  "This observation is the first demonstration of differences in brain function being associated with media violence exposure," says researcher Vincent Mathews, MD  In the study, researchers measured activity in the frontal cortex of the brain in two groups of 14 boys and five girls while they performed a task requiring concentration. Less activity in the frontal cortex has been associated with problems with self-control and attention.

Physiological changes from violent media  One group of children was considered aggressive and had been diagnosed with disruptive behavior disorder and the other had no history of behavior problems.  About half of the children in each group had been exposed to high levels of media violence, as defined as a higher than average amount of time spent each week watching television programs or playing video games depicting human injury.

Physiological changes from violent media  As expected, the results showed that all of the aggressive children had reduced activity in their frontal cortex while completing the task, regardless of their levels of media violence exposure. This shows that there is a correlation between frontal cortex activity and aggression.  But researchers found that nonaggressive children who had high levels of media violence exposure also displayed a similar pattern of low activity in the frontal cortex. Children in this group who weren't exposed to high levels of media violence had more frontal cortex activity.

Implications  This research (although in its infantile stage) suggests that violent media short term exposure can correlate to lower activity in the frontal cortex (which is responsible for our rational thought process). This would mean that you are possibly more likely to make a irrational decision while you are listening to or watching aggressive media. More research needs to be done in order to further support this assumption.  This research also suggests that continued exposure to violence can lead to extended inactivity in the frontal cortex. As we know from Genie, inactivity can lead to physical damage in this part of the brain. This would suggest a more permanent disposition for irrational thoughts and aggression.

Further research on short term and long term exposure to violence  The most vivid picture of short term exposure to violence and its effects are highlighted in James Potter’s 2002 book entitled “11 myths of Media Violence” in which he outlined effects of Short Term and Long Term exposure to media violence.  Listen to his interview in this regard: ce-in-the-media/ ce-in-the-media/

Research on short term and long term exposure to violence  One of the most intriguing myths in Dr. Potter’s book is that “Media Violence” does not affect violent behavior.  He attempts to disprove this assumption through a meta-analysis of numerous cross-cultural studies that suggest the large effect of short term and long term exposure.

Short term exposure to violence In his book, The 11 Myths of Media, Potter shares what he believes to be the several short term effects and long term effects of media:  Imitation and Copying Behavior : Children and adults mimics and incorporate a behavior they have seen a character in media perform.  Triggering Novel Behavior: Media that stimulates a person to act in a manner that is not copied from a specific a media portrayal the have seen. Instead the viewer uses the stimulation they feel by watching the negative media to act aggressively in a novel way to fit the situation at hand.

DQ #2 Can you think of any real world where you felt “aggressive” or “angry” after watching a movie?

Short term exposure to violence  Fight or Flight: Exposure to violent media can temporarily arouse people physiologically whereby a person’s heart rate and blood pressure increase.  The same physical changes that occur in a person’s body during a real life threat are the same ones that occur when there are watching violent or fearful images.  Desensitization : Media can reduce our emotional reactions. It breaks down viewer’s natural resistance to killing (think about how many “deaths” you have witnessed through media)

Long term exposure to violence  Generalizing to Novel Behaviors: Media can influence behaviors—not just specific actions, but a general, long term manner. Viewers can generalize a particular behavior to a broader class of behaviors.  Desensitization : Media can reduce our emotional reactions. It breaks down viewer’s natural resistance to killing (think about how many “deaths” you have witnessed through media)

Long term exposure to violence  Generalizing to Novel Behaviors: Media can influence behaviors—not just specific actions, but a general, long term manner. Viewers can generalize a particular behavior to a broader class of behaviors.  Physiological Habituation: This is the building up or increasing of physiological tolerance over the long term. With repeated fight-flight responses, the human body gradually builds up a resistance to the exposure to media images. This can lead to insensitivity to violent situations.

Long term exposure to violence  Narcotizin g: Habitual viewing of violent media over time can increase ones need for violent media. Viewers can become addicted and crave that strong “arousal jag” they get from violent exposures. Violence acts as a drug in the sense that people become more dependent over time.

Long term exposure to violence  Learning Social Norms : People can generalize a pattern from individual media exposures without that pattern being a social norm. When viewers are repeated exposed to violence in media, a person overestimates the extent to which certain behaviors are socially acceptable.  Sheer repetition of violent portrayals is enough to lead people to generalize that violence is typical way of dealing with problems in society.

DQ #3 What problems arise with becoming desensitized to violence?

Desensitization According to Potter:  The implications of desensitization are important as it is possible that reduced inhibitions toward violence might result in increased aggressive which can have a number of negative consequences for both the individual and the society.  Furthermore, the fi ndings suggest that desensitization might also result in decreased likelihood of being concerned for the victims of violence, and therefore in decreased likelihood of helping a victim of violence.

Critical thinking discussion ideas  Could there be individual differences in the effect of short term exposure?  Is it possible to truly measure short term exposure empirically without taking into account previous experiences?  Can gender play a role in short/long term exposure effects? Why would males be more susceptible to violent behavior (consider genetic predispositions).  Can culture play a role in resilience to violence exposure? Explain.

Conclusion  Could there be individual differences in the effect of short term exposure?  Is it possible to truly measure short term exposure empirically without taking into account previous experiences?  Can gender play a role in short/long term exposure effects? Why would males be more susceptible to violent behavior (consider genetic predispositions).  Can culture play a role in resilience to violence exposure? Explain.