Using Levels of Analysis to Understand the Influence of Violent Media on Aggression

Name

Institution

Using Levels of Analysis to Understand the Influence of Violent Media on Aggression

Introduction

Understanding human behavior requires a comprehensive analysis and under such there have been proposed categories under which the human behavior can be explored (Anderson & Bushman, 2001). These categories or manner in which the behavior of individuals can be understood include psychological level, biological and environmental levels. Media violence can be defined as the visual images or the acts of physical aggression by human or human like character against each other (Anderson & Bushman, 2001). From the 1960s, there have been numerous researchers that have been done suggesting the negative impacts of violent media on the behavior of users. Thus, the researchers opine that growing up in an environment full of violent leads to violent behaviors in individuals. In this paper, the research works towards the topic is reviewed, and the effects on short and long run explored.

Overview of findings on the effects of media violence on aggression

Effect of TV on Aggression

Since the beginning of the use of television, there has been growing the need and trend for teachers, parents, mental health professionals and legislators to comprehend the effects of the programs on human especially the children (Bushman & Huesmann, 2006). This has been of great concern given that several works by psychologists on social learning supported the fact that human beings tend to imitate what they see (Huesmann, 1986). The media violence, as a result, has an effect on individual aggression levels. The media violence impacts on attitudes, values and general behavior of people. Some of the main effects of television violence include individuals or viewers becoming less sensitive to suffering or pain of others. Additionally, there is also a tendency of humans to develop a lot of fear regarding their environment or the world. The level of aggressiveness of individuals tends to rise with children beginning to behave in a more harmful manner towards each other. Research done by Psychologists such as Leonard Eron and Rowell Huesmann; showed that children who watched violence on television tended to have aggressive behavior in their teenage hood (Bushman & Huesmann, 2006). Upon growing to adults, these individuals stand high chances of being arrested and prosecuted for criminal acts.

Video Game Violence and Effect on Aggression

The advent of video games was a serious concern given that it involves participation rather than being just players (Anderson & Bushman, 2001). Quite a number of victims are individuals in their adolescents who play these games on Gameboys, Play station, Xbox or even tablets. Most of the video games played like the “Grand Theft Auto” and “Call of Duty” are violent and usually are played at least for an hour every day. Exposure to the violent video games raises risk as individuals develop increased aggressive behavior, effect and cognition (Anderson & Bushman, 2001). However, the individuals are affected in that they develop decreased empathy and a pro-social kind of behavior.

Short term versus Long Term Effects

The short term effects of media violence arise mainly due to priming processes, arousal ad mimicking of certain behaviors (Bushman & Huesmann, 2006). In humans, the short term effects are more pronounced in the adults as compared to children given their ability to comprehend scripts and schemas. This is mainly because the development of the networks required experience and repeated learning which is apparently enjoyed by an adult in the society (Anderson & Bushman, 2001). The long-term effects occur mainly as a result of individuals having a more lasting observational learning of both behaviors and cognitions. Also, long term effects may arise out of activation and desensitization of emotional processes in an individual (Bushman & Huesmann, 2006). The long term effects are seen on the various conditioning of emotional reactions that occur in children. For instance, through classical conditioning, fear or even anger in children can be connected with certain defined stimuli after individuals are exposed (Browne & Hamilton-Giachritsis, 2005). Thus, the emotions affect the social setting of individuals away from the media source through stimulus generalization. With repetitive emotional arousing, the media can result to some specific natural emotional reactions a process referred to as desensitization. Desensitization then gives rise to a reduction in distress related physiological reactivity to the manner in which media reflects on violence (Bushman & Huesmann, 2006). Over a period, the violent scenes become less arousing and just mere exposure to media violence results in reduced physiological reactions to the violence as it happens in the real world.

Levels of Analysis Framework

Biological Level of Analysis

In biological level analysis, aggression as a result of violent media is like a system that is inherent in human beings that are not affected by external stimuli. When individuals have been exposed to violent media, the aggression developed must be released through the right stimulus lest it turns out harmful (Anderson, 2004). The amygdala part of human brain structure is known for aggressive behavior. Therefore, this is a strong pointer that the aggressive behavior is genetically influenced. A case in example is blood chemistry which contributes to aggressive behavior through decreasing the ability of an individual to be aware of themselves and decreasing their ability to gain awareness of the consequences of their aggressive behavior (Bushman & Huesmann, 2006).

The brain usually has three areas that host the unusual increased and decreased activity that often results in aggression. The temporal lobe contains the aggressive thoughts while the anterior cingulate gyrus controls the repeated thoughts of an activity and prefrontal cortex regulates impulse. Aggressive individuals have too much or too little activity in left temporal globe, too much in the anterior section and too little in the prefrontal cortex hence lack of control among such individuals.

The biological level of analysis is more dealt with in catharsis model that captures that the aggression is more of a biological drive that requires expression in individuals. I reference to this theory; individuals might think that their expression of anger would release emotion and consequently psyche them up. This is always portrayed in video games where individuals think that killing of enemies in a violent video game would assist them get relieved from anger.

Psychological Level of Analysis

Psychological level analysis entails the incorporation of cognitive behavior and processes that give rise to aggression from the effect of violent media (Huesmann, 1986). Psychological aggression could occur as a result of frustration where individuals block a behavior that is goal oriented. Thus frustration creates a motive for aggression in individuals given that frustration leads to anger and anger at times lead to aggressive behavior (Huesmann, 1986). Thus out of anger an individual’s emotions are triggered causing them to act otherwise. A case in example is the children exposed to playing video games that have guns. These children, develops aggression that might even lead them to knocking down others when they play with non-aggressive toys.

Environmental / Social Level of Analysis

Social level analysis involves the effects on other people’s feeling as a result of factors or effects of their environment (Huesmann, 1986). This occurs given the friendship or manipulation that might emerge. Usually, individuals are affected by what they see their peers doing or what other individuals in the society do (Browne & Hamilton-Giachritsis, 2005). Thus, the individuals imitate what they see in their environment. The effect of violent media on high and low socio-economic status is the same though the individuals in the low socio-economic status watch more of the violent movies as compared to their counterparts in high socio-economic status. The parents who form a crucial part of the environment of the children are more likely to affect the children’s interactions and exposure to the effects (Bushman & Huesmann, 2006).

The parents could play a mediating role often commenting on what their children watch and bringing them to reality (Anderson, 2004). Thus children that their parents talk about the inappropriateness of television violence or even control their access to certain shows do report lower aggressive tendencies as compared to the ones whose parents do not discuss the issues with them (Browne & Hamilton-Giachritsis, 2005). A case in example is a teenager watching other teenagers play the video game. Due to peer pressure or influence, this teenager is likely to be affected and assimilated in playing of video games. The society or community in which humans beings live defines their behavior. The observational behaviors that individuals acquire from their environment shape up their behavior

Conclusion

The different levels of analysis framework play a crucial role in understanding the effect of media violence on aggression (Anderson, 2004). With this knowledge, one clearly can tell the biological effect of violence media on aggression levels that are mostly genetically acquired. Additionally, the psychological aspects of individuals also assist in explaining the aggression levels as it takes cognizance of cognitive behavior (Browne & Hamilton-Giachritsis, 2005). Last, the environment of human beings play an important role in influencing aggression levels from violent media. The environment defines the personality, tastes and preferences of individuals thus an important framework in the study.