Four theories attempt to explain how media may affect aggression. I have included these theories to help you understand the basis for research and beliefs about behaviour. The first two (Social Learning and Social Cognitive theories) are perhaps the most important to understand the foundation laid for current research.
Social Learning Theory
Media effects theories in modern times originated with Bandura's social learning theory, which suggests that children may learn aggression from viewing others. (Sparks, 2001) Bandura showed children a video of a model beating up a doll and then put the children in a room with the same doll to see if he/she would imitate the behavior previously seen on the video.
The findings of this experiment suggest that children tended to model the behavior they witnessed in the video. This has been often taken to imply that children may imitate aggressive behaviors witnessed in media.
However, Bandura's experiments have been criticized (Gauntlett, 1995) on several grounds. First, it is difficult to generalize from aggression toward a bo-bo doll (which is intended to be hit) to person-on-person violence.
Secondly, it may be possible that the children were motivated simply to please the experimenter rather than to be aggressive. In other words, the children may have viewed the videos as instructions, rather than incentives to feel more aggressive.
Third, in a latter study (Bandura,1965) included a condition in which the adult model was punished for hitting the bo-bo doll by himself being physically punished. Specifically the adult was pushed down in the video by the experimenter and hit with a newspaper while being berated.
This actual person-on-person violence actually decreased aggressive acts in the children, probably due to vicarious reinforcement. Nonetheless these last results indicate that even young children don't automatically imitate aggression, but rather consider the context of aggression.
Social Cognitive Theory
Social cognitive theories build upon social learning theory, but suggest that aggression may be activated by learning and priming aggressive scripts. Desensitization and arousal/excitation are also included in latter social cognitive theories. The concept of desensitization has particularly gotten much interest from the scholarly community and general public. It is theorized that with repeated exposure to media violence, a psychological saturation or emotional adjustment takes place such that initial levels of anxiety and disgust diminish or weaken. (Ferguson & Dyck, 2012)
For example in one recent study, a sample of college students were assigned at random to play either a violent or non-violent video game for 20 minutes. They were then asked to watch a 10 minute video of real life violence. The students who had played the violent video games were observed to be significantly less affected by the a simulated aggressive act than those who didn't play the violent video games. (Ferguson & Dyck 2012)
However the degree to which the simulation was "believable" to the participants, or to which the participants may have responded to "demand characteristics" is unclear. Nonetheless, social cognitive theory was arguably the most dominant paradigm of media violence effects for many years, although it has come under recent criticism (Vidal, 2003). Recent scholarship has suggested that social cognitive theories of aggression are outdated and should be retired (Freedman 2002)
Catalyst Model
Catalyst Model (Ferguson et al., 2008) has been proposed to explain the etiology (causes or origin) of violence. According to the Catalyst Model, violence arises from a combination of genetic and early social influences (family and peers in particular).
However, media violence is explicitly not considered a causal influence according to this model, considered too weak an influence. Specific violent acts are "catalyzed" by stressful environment circumstances, with less stress required to catalyze violence in individuals with greater violence predisposition. Given that the Catalyst Model specifically deemphasizes media violence, this theory is directly at odds with most learning-focused media violence researchers. The Catalyst Model is a newer theory and has not been tested as extensively as other theoretical models.
Moral Panic Theory
Attributed largely to David Gauntlett this theory postulates that concerns about new media are historical and cyclical. Society forms a predetermined negative belief about a new media (typically not used by elder members of society in power). Research studies and statements by scholars and politicians are designed to confirm the pre-existing belief, rather than objectively study the issue with care. Ultimately the panic dies out after several years or even decades, but ultimately resurfaces when yet another new form of media is introduced. Using this theory it is easier to reject claims that there is a link between media and violence because the cycle returns regardless of violent stimuli.
References
Anderson, C. and Bushman, B. 2001. Media Violence and the American Public: Scientific Facts Versus Media Misinformation. American Psychologist 16; 121-129.
Bargh, J., Chen, M., and Burrows, L. 1996. Automaticity of Social Behavior: Direct Effects of Trait Construct and Stereotype Activation on Action. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 71(2).
Comstock, G. and Scharrer, E. 2003. Meta-analyzing the controversy over television violence and aggression. In D. Gentile (Ed.) Media Violence and Children, pp. 205–226.
Ferguson, C. 2012. "Paradigm change in aggression research: The time has come to retire the General Aggression Model. Aggression and Violence Behavior (17): 220–228.
Freedman, J. 2002. Media violence and its effect on aggression. Assessing the scientific evidence. Toronto: University of Toronto Press
Gauntlett, David 2005, Moving Experiences, second edition: Media Effects and Beyond, London: John Libbey.
Sparks, G, Sparks, E and Sparks, C. 2008 Media Violence. In J. Bryant (Ed),Media Effects: Advances in Theory and Research 3rd ed., pp. 269–286.
Vidal, M, Clemente, M, Espinosa, P. 2003. Types of media violence and degree of acceptance in under-18s. Aggressive Behavior29 (5): 381
Social Effects Theories
Four theories attempt to explain how media may affect aggression. I have included these theories to help you understand the basis for research and beliefs about behaviour. The first two (Social Learning and Social Cognitive theories) are perhaps the most important to understand the foundation laid for current research.
Social Learning Theory
Media effects theories in modern times originated with Bandura's social learning theory, which suggests that children may learn aggression from viewing others. (Sparks, 2001) Bandura showed children a video of a model beating up a doll and then put the children in a room with the same doll to see if he/she would imitate the behavior previously seen on the video.The findings of this experiment suggest that children tended to model the behavior they witnessed in the video. This has been often taken to imply that children may imitate aggressive behaviors witnessed in media.
However, Bandura's experiments have been criticized (Gauntlett, 1995) on several grounds. First, it is difficult to generalize from aggression toward a bo-bo doll (which is intended to be hit) to person-on-person violence.
Secondly, it may be possible that the children were motivated simply to please the experimenter rather than to be aggressive. In other words, the children may have viewed the videos as instructions, rather than incentives to feel more aggressive.
Third, in a latter study (Bandura,1965) included a condition in which the adult model was punished for hitting the bo-bo doll by himself being physically punished. Specifically the adult was pushed down in the video by the experimenter and hit with a newspaper while being berated.
This actual person-on-person violence actually decreased aggressive acts in the children, probably due to vicarious reinforcement. Nonetheless these last results indicate that even young children don't automatically imitate aggression, but rather consider the context of aggression.
Social Cognitive Theory
Social cognitive theories build upon social learning theory, but suggest that aggression may be activated by learning and priming aggressive scripts. Desensitization and arousal/excitation are also included in latter social cognitive theories. The concept of desensitization has particularly gotten much interest from the scholarly community and general public. It is theorized that with repeated exposure to media violence, a psychological saturation or emotional adjustment takes place such that initial levels of anxiety and disgust diminish or weaken. (Ferguson & Dyck, 2012)For example in one recent study, a sample of college students were assigned at random to play either a violent or non-violent video game for 20 minutes. They were then asked to watch a 10 minute video of real life violence. The students who had played the violent video games were observed to be significantly less affected by the a simulated aggressive act than those who didn't play the violent video games. (Ferguson & Dyck 2012)
However the degree to which the simulation was "believable" to the participants, or to which the participants may have responded to "demand characteristics" is unclear. Nonetheless, social cognitive theory was arguably the most dominant paradigm of media violence effects for many years, although it has come under recent criticism (Vidal, 2003). Recent scholarship has suggested that social cognitive theories of aggression are outdated and should be retired (Freedman 2002)
Catalyst Model
Catalyst Model (Ferguson et al., 2008) has been proposed to explain the etiology (causes or origin) of violence. According to the Catalyst Model, violence arises from a combination of genetic and early social influences (family and peers in particular).However, media violence is explicitly not considered a causal influence according to this model, considered too weak an influence. Specific violent acts are "catalyzed" by stressful environment circumstances, with less stress required to catalyze violence in individuals with greater violence predisposition. Given that the Catalyst Model specifically deemphasizes media violence, this theory is directly at odds with most learning-focused media violence researchers. The Catalyst Model is a newer theory and has not been tested as extensively as other theoretical models.
Moral Panic Theory
Attributed largely to David Gauntlett this theory postulates that concerns about new media are historical and cyclical. Society forms a predetermined negative belief about a new media (typically not used by elder members of society in power). Research studies and statements by scholars and politicians are designed to confirm the pre-existing belief, rather than objectively study the issue with care. Ultimately the panic dies out after several years or even decades, but ultimately resurfaces when yet another new form of media is introduced. Using this theory it is easier to reject claims that there is a link between media and violence because the cycle returns regardless of violent stimuli.References
Anderson, C. and Bushman, B. 2001. Media Violence and the American Public: Scientific Facts Versus Media Misinformation. American Psychologist 16; 121-129.
Bargh, J., Chen, M., and Burrows, L. 1996. Automaticity of Social Behavior: Direct Effects of Trait Construct and Stereotype Activation on Action. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 71(2).
Comstock, G. and Scharrer, E. 2003. Meta-analyzing the controversy over television violence and aggression. In D. Gentile (Ed.) Media Violence and Children, pp. 205–226.
Ferguson, C. 2012. "Paradigm change in aggression research: The time has come to retire the General Aggression Model. Aggression and Violence Behavior (17): 220–228.
Freedman, J. 2002. Media violence and its effect on aggression. Assessing the scientific evidence. Toronto: University of Toronto Press
Gauntlett, David 2005, Moving Experiences, second edition: Media Effects and Beyond, London: John Libbey.
Sparks, G, Sparks, E and Sparks, C. 2008 Media Violence. In J. Bryant (Ed),Media Effects: Advances in Theory and Research 3rd ed., pp. 269–286.
Vidal, M, Clemente, M, Espinosa, P. 2003. Types of media violence and degree of acceptance in under-18s. Aggressive Behavior 29 (5): 381