Early Methods Section

Media’s influence on aggression

Research Methods | PSY302 A01

Dr. Yvonne Bustamante

Argosy University

13 May 2015

Introduction

The topic of research is media’s influence on aggression. The statement of the problem is to research the impact of media on aggression. Along with other factors contributing to the aggression the contribution of media is significantly higher than the others and therefore the influence and preference of media is outlined in the research paper to critically analyze the effective involvement of media in developing aggression. Media’s influence on aggression, the media influences the violence or aggression of adolescents and young adults due to ignorance of the measures that should be taken to avoid the same. Research shows that fictional television and film violence contribute to increase in aggression and violence in young viewers.

Research question

There are many factors that can predict the aggression level on the human beings. Violent behavior and lose of temperament are among one of the factors that led to the development of aggressiveness in children. Physical punishments and excessive violence can also be one of the factors leading to aggression. Inhibition is also among one of the factors. Another factor that predicts aggression is victimization of peer and predicted aggressive fantasy in children. Decrease in self esteem and high bold pressure are also amongst the prominent factors predicting the aggression in children and adults (Dilwadin, 2014).

Why is it important?

Aggression among the children and the adult is the primary cause of wrong and unethical activity. Children are getting violent and the peers are victimized by the aggressive behavior among the peer group. Most of the ill will causes are somehow linked with or related with the level of aggression and therefore it becomes important that the factors impacting the aggression in adult and children are studied and examined, so as to address the related issues. Aggressiveness can be classified in short term or long term run. Short behavior can also be referred as mimicry and the long term aggressiveness is linked with the problem of the brain and can be dangerous for both short and long term (Nauert, 2008).

Literature Review

Dilwadin (2004) commented on various factors that predict the aggression and explains the role of media in evaluating the aggression out. The peer factors and the violent behavior in the family are the factors that are predicting the aggression. High blood pressure and other psychological factors are some other factors that may predict the aggression.

Nauert, (2008) commented that the influence of media on aggression is mostly seen and depicted in children. However there are various factors that could lead to aggression in adults. According to the research the aggression linked with media is far more spread to the children rather than the adults.

Berkowitz & Macaulay (1971) showed a jump in the number of violent crimes, after several murder cases. Suicides commonly mentioned in the media have a greater probability of being followed by other suicides. Nathason (2003) said that parents can go a long way toward monitoring their children’s access to violent media, which may in turn reduce the impact of violence.

Anderson et al (2003: p4), explain that the effects of violent media have much been consecutively demonstrated. On the other hand, other scholars (Freedman, 2002; Olson, 2004: p28) explain that media violence research field has been mismanaged, and that they show weak and inconsistent results.

There is a relationship between the media violence and the violent behavior which had been researched since 40 years and laid down certain factors that put the people at risk for aggression. According to Lösel & Farrington, (2012) individual risk factors that may put the people at risk are:

· Violent victimization

· Deficits of attention and learning disorders

· Initial aggressive behavior of history

· Low level of intelligent quotient

· Low level of behavioral control

· High level of emotional distress

· Antisocial beliefs

· Exposure to violence

· Excessive drugs intake

Sampling techniques

Secondary data for the purpose of the literature review will be collected from books, journals, e-sources, and articles. The researcher intends to collect primary data by analysing the behaviour of people and the impact of their behaviour on social life and social impacts. The researcher will conduct a literature review using secondary data and will analyse influence of media on the aggressive behaviour of the people.

Data is collected for this research mainly through the use of secondary data and secondary sources. Research conducted in relation to the topic is studies, and the conclusion is based on the pre-estimated result and analysis. Surveys are also done and the results of various surveys estimates that media has the preferential role in determining the level of aggression in people. The sample generalizes the population as it is evident that risk factors are related to various categories of population and can be attributed to various individual and other risk factors.

Ethical issues

This research is carried out by a limited population of children and adults. Another issue is that as the research is conducted based on the secondary review and is preceded by collecting data from financial research already studied on this topic. All the respondents will be made aware of the purpose of the research and will be free to take part in the process at their will only. They will be free to leave the process at any time they desire, and their identity will not be revealed without their permission. All ethical sanctions as per university norms will be obtainedby collecting secondary data and analysing the survey.

Bibliography

Nauert PhD, R. (2008). Media Violence Linked to Aggression. Psych Central. Retrieved from http://psychcentral.com/news/2008/11/20/media-violence-linked-to-aggression/3379.html .

This article elaborates the media violence linked to aggression and laid down various factors that could impact the role of individual. The article also elaborates the preferential role played by media in developing the aggression.

Dilwadin, (2014). What leads children to become aggressive and violent? Retrieved from

http://www.peoples-law.org/what-leads-children-become-aggressive-and-violent

This article includes various risk factors that lead children to become aggressive and violent and evolve the role and preference of each factor on the behaviour of children.

Lösel, F, & Farrington, D P (2012). Direct protective and buffering protective factors in the development of youth violence. American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

This article demonstrates the direct protective and buffering protective factors in the development of violence among the youth. The study relates the factors attributable to the level of violence in youth.

Dodge, K.A., Coie, J.D., & Lynam, D. (2006). Aggression and antisocial behavior in youth. In W. Damon (Series Ed.) & N. Eisenberg (Vol. Ed.), Handbook of child psychology:

Social, emotional, and personality development (6th ed., pp. 719-788). New York: Wiley.

This study expands the antisocial behavior and aggressive behavior of youth and elaborates various psychological factors that could be attributable to the antisocial behavior and aggression related factors.

Ostrov, J. M. (2010). Prospective associations between peer victimization and aggression. Child Development.

This study expands the association between peer victimization and aggression. The perspective association is also interlinked and demonstrated in this study leading to the development of child and the growth of children.

Anderson, C., Berkowitz, L., Donnerstein, E.,Heusmann, L. R., Johnson, J., Linz, D., et al.(2003). The influence of media violence on youth.Psychological Science in the PublicInterest.

Freedman, J. (2002).Media violence and its effect on aggression: Assessing the scientific evidence. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.

Olson, C. (2004). Media violence research and youth violence data: Why do they conflict?Academic Psychiatry.

Berkowitz L, Macaulay J. (1971). The contagion of criminal violence.

Nathanson, A.I. (2003). The effects of mediation content and form on children’s responses to violent television: Human communication research.