When analyzing the information collated from both primary and secondary research findings, the results clearly indicate that a direct relationship does in fact exist between the widespread presence of violence in the media and its concomitant negative influence on violence within society. This is a serious social issue that needs to be considered, as the aspect of violence is highly prevalent in the media according to primary research studies (see Fig. A). Some of the reasons why society finds violence so appealing include the emotional appeal that it provides (that is, through emotional catharsis and/or feelings of adrenaline); the instinctual and evolutionary connection to the interest in violence; and the sense of satisfaction one experiences
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Research has specifically shown an increase in the number of short-term aggressive behaviours expressed by children who constantly play violent videogames in addition to these children having a greater tendency to imitate these violent behaviours in the real world (Vessey & Lee, 2000). From a cognitive psychologist’s point of view, Albert Bandura’s Bobo doll experiment clearly shows how children come to normalize certain behaviours as a result of watching and imitating adults performing violent actions towards a doll on video. More specifically, the children who watched this video acted far more aggressively towards the doll as opposed to those who did not in addition to employing forms of violence that were not portrayed in the video (Haskings-Winner et al., 2011). This experiment proves how children can be negatively impacted by what they see and how the media can consequently instill the image concerning the normality of violence in children psychologically especially if adults are portrayed performing violent actions (this is because children look up towards adults as authority figures and guides concerning what is allowable). B.F. Skinner’s theory of operant conditioning (more specifically, his idea of reinforcers, which are stimuli …show more content…
F). From an anthropologist’s perspective, culture plays a large role with respect to a person’s development as an individual. The aspect of gender in particular is important when studying both anthropology and sociology because gender is a phenomenon that is culturally constructed while culture is contemporaneously socially constructed (Haskings-Winner et al., 2011). Gender stereotypes are reinforced by the violence present in the media: males are generally viewed upon as powerful, aggressive, and dominant whereas women are considered more submissive. The media propounds these gender myths in order to bolster a society that has been historically patriarchal: “Feelings of anger and rage are encouraged in ‘real men’ because they are associated with high status and power” (Gabbiadini et al., 2016, ¶ 6). Thus, these masculine beliefs concerning gender roles make males more liable to acting aggressively and violently in the future in order to conform to gender stereotypes advanced by the media; for example, one study found that these beliefs about virility could be positively correlated with violence towards females (Gabbiadini et al., 2016). Furthermore, “The media does normalize violence, making it appear to be part of one’s culture. On television,
Research has specifically shown an increase in the number of short-term aggressive behaviours expressed by children who constantly play violent videogames in addition to these children having a greater tendency to imitate these violent behaviours in the real world (Vessey & Lee, 2000). From a cognitive psychologist’s point of view, Albert Bandura’s Bobo doll experiment clearly shows how children come to normalize certain behaviours as a result of watching and imitating adults performing violent actions towards a doll on video. More specifically, the children who watched this video acted far more aggressively towards the doll as opposed to those who did not in addition to employing forms of violence that were not portrayed in the video (Haskings-Winner et al., 2011). This experiment proves how children can be negatively impacted by what they see and how the media can consequently instill the image concerning the normality of violence in children psychologically especially if adults are portrayed performing violent actions (this is because children look up towards adults as authority figures and guides concerning what is allowable). B.F. Skinner’s theory of operant conditioning (more specifically, his idea of reinforcers, which are stimuli …show more content…
F). From an anthropologist’s perspective, culture plays a large role with respect to a person’s development as an individual. The aspect of gender in particular is important when studying both anthropology and sociology because gender is a phenomenon that is culturally constructed while culture is contemporaneously socially constructed (Haskings-Winner et al., 2011). Gender stereotypes are reinforced by the violence present in the media: males are generally viewed upon as powerful, aggressive, and dominant whereas women are considered more submissive. The media propounds these gender myths in order to bolster a society that has been historically patriarchal: “Feelings of anger and rage are encouraged in ‘real men’ because they are associated with high status and power” (Gabbiadini et al., 2016, ¶ 6). Thus, these masculine beliefs concerning gender roles make males more liable to acting aggressively and violently in the future in order to conform to gender stereotypes advanced by the media; for example, one study found that these beliefs about virility could be positively correlated with violence towards females (Gabbiadini et al., 2016). Furthermore, “The media does normalize violence, making it appear to be part of one’s culture. On television,