Desensitization, Increasing Desirability of Violence, and Ways to Reduce Aggression
Desensitization is a well-documented consequence of years-long exposure to media violence. From early exposure, children—especially boys—learn that aggression pays off (Bushman, Gollwitzer, & Cruz, 2015). Aggression—especially if it means you “win” the game, “defeat” the adversary, or “force” a resolution to a conflict—earns the aggressor attention, praise, respect, reverence, adoration, money, and power. These are the rewards that often accompany aggression portrayed by the film industry (e.g., Die Hard, Die Hard 2, Die Hard With a Vengeance, Live Free or Die Hard, A Good Day to Die Hard), making it more likely that the aggressive behavior will persist. The number of films in this series is evidence of their popularity. From classical conditioning theory, we learn that bad behavior paired with rewards can make the bad behavior desirable; moreover, the prevalence of violence in the media, over time, normalizes it. Studies show that when exposed to violent films daily over a week’s time, participants rate films as less violent with each film viewed (Dexter, Penrod, Linz, & Saunders, 2006). This is evidence of desensitization.
Desensitized people tend not to acknowledge the effects of media violence, because they don't see that there's a problem. However, a growing body of research finds that desensitized individuals downplay or tend not to acknowledge egregious harm done to others; because a steady diet of violent media normalizes violent behavior, injury suffered by people in real life does not seem like cause for concern (Vossen, Piotrowski, & Valkenburg, 2016). That's the nature of desensitization, and that is indeed a problem.
Convinced there is no harm in violent media consumption—that their behavioral tendencies will not have been influenced by it—desensitized consumers probably would not be interested in changing their media viewing habits (Funk, Baldacci, Pasold, & Baumgardner, 2004).
For this Assignment, you will examine the concept of desensitization, methods used to increase the desirability of violence, and ways for parents to reduce aggression exhibited by their children.
References:
Bushman, B. J., Gollwitzer, M., & Cruz, C. (2015). There is broad consensus: Media researchers agree that violent media increases aggression in children, and pediatricians and parents agree. Psychology of Popular Media Culture, 4(3), 200—214.
Dexter, H. R., Penrod, S., Linz, D., & Saunders, D. (2006). Attributing responsibility to female victims after exposure to sexually violent films. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 27(24), 2149–2171.
Funk, J. B., Baldacci, H. B., Pasold, T., & Baumgardner, J. (2004). Violence exposure in real-life, video games, television, movies, and the internet: Is there desensitization? Journal of Adolescence, 27(1), 23–39.
Vossen, H. G. M., Piotrowski, J. T., & Valkenburg, P. M. (2016). The Longitudinal relationship between media violence and empathy: Was it sympathy all along? Media Psychology, 20(2), 175–193.
Search the Walden Library and/or the Internet for the definition of desensitization, its symptoms, and the process that creates it.
From your search and from the Learning Resources for this week, consider the ways that violence is presented and whether or not its presentation is appealing to children.
Also, from your search, consider how social psychology theory is applied to reduce aggression.
Submit 3–5 pages, not including title page and reference page:
Define desensitization and describes its process.
Identify and describe symptoms of desensitization.
Explain the methods used in the media to increase the desirability of violence. (i.e., what is rewarding the violence).
Suggest ways for parents to reduce aggression exhibited by their children.
Media Violence and Desensitization Essay
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Recurrent media violence exposure is likely to culminate in desensitization. Violent media is rampant in online media, and children’s exposure to it potentiates adverse negative implications on their psychological and physical wellbeing. There is a significant connection between violent films or video games and aggressive behavior in real-world situations, especially among children and adolescents. It is crucial to investigate the subject of desensitization because it has several adverse effects on an individual’s wellbeing and the sustainability of communities. Desensitization undermines the moral evaluation process since a person cannot correctly perceive and respond to cues in an objective manner. This paper defines desensitization and its process, identifies and delineates desensitization symptoms, explains methodologies employed in media to augment violence desirability as well as recommends strategies that parents can use to reduce aggressive behaviors in their children.
Definition of Desensitization and its Process
Desensitization should be conceptualized as one of the fundamental constructs proposed for the implications of constant exposure to violence. Desensitization is the elimination or attenuation of emotional, cognitive, and, finally, behavioral responses to stimuli within one’s immediate environment (Funk et al., 2004). The desensitization process can be manipulated purposefully and directly. For instance, systematic desensitization is a behavioral therapy technique tailored to eliminate or mitigate specific emotional responses via supervised or graded exposure to stimuli that induces anxiety. Systematic desensitization constitutes a fundamental construct of therapeutic approaches for children, with established efficacy in altering emotions, behaviors, and feelings. Moreover, desensitization to violence happens as a subtle and incidental process that manifests due to repeated exposure to violence in real life as well as via media channels. Emotional desensitization is well-established when emotional reactions are numbed or blunted to events that typically elicit strong reactions. The cognitive desensitization process happens when the individual believes that otherwise unlikely and uncommon violence is deemed inevitable and mundane (Funk et al., 2004). Cognitive and emotional desensitization to violence reduces the potential that violent behavior will be either censured or censored.
Identification and Description Desensitization Symptoms
Specific desensitization symptoms can be identified from the review of the assigned readings. Research indicates that exposure to media or film violence, including sexualized violence against women, leads to desensitization implications in men (Dexter et al., 2006). Some of the symptoms of desensitization are being less anxious concerning violence and demonstrating less adverse affective reactions when exposed to film violence. The desensitization victims can also demonstrate less physiological reactivity to images of intimate partner violence, including showing less sympathy for sexual violence victims. According to Dexter et al. (2006), men exposed to slasher movies showing violence against women are likely to become less anxious and report fewer undesirable affective reactions when repeatedly exposed to violent films. These men are also expected to show reduced physiological reactivity to domestic violence, show less sympathy for sexual violence victims in real-life contexts, and have the inclination to judge victims as less injured compared to control subjects not exposed to violence (Dexter et al., 2006). Desensitized individuals are expected to likely demonstrate lower responsibility attribution for similar situations within a high-threat situation after short-term exposure. These behavioral manifestations, including irrationally holding victims responsible for their misfortunes, may be driven by the need to sustain one’s sense of personal security (Dexter et al., 2006).
Methods Used in Media to Increase Violence Desirability
Desensitized individuals are not inclined to acknowledge the implications of media violence because they do not conceive any problem with it. According to the General Aggression Model, recurrent media violence exposure is a method used to augment violence desirability in real-world contexts. This recurrent media violence exposure reduces a person’s cognitive, psychological, and emotional response to violence in real-world situations, and this is conceived as an adaptive strategy that helps people bear with distress emanating from a violent confrontation. In addition, constant media violence exposure reduces trait empathy over time, thus encouraging violence desirability. Despite the above arguments, there is confusion concerning whether constant exposure to media violence increases violence desirability via empathy rather than sympathy dimensions. The current study indicated that sympathy was solely responsible for the desensitization process. In yet another dimension, the selection process in media encourages violence desirability in that empathy can influence media violence exposure. Less empathetic people are likely to seek more violence films since they experience less emotional distress from watching them than their increasingly empat...