SOCPSY 3Y03 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Quasi, Social Cognitive Theory, Negative Campaigning

• School: McMaster University
• Department: Social Psychology
• Course: SOCPSY 3Y03
• Professor: Meridith Griffin

Document Summary

Media has the power to shape people"s social reality. Possibility that media reinforces what you think, rather than changing it. Wide reach and high prevalence of technology/media. Increasingly found in comedies, music videos, and childrens tv shows (2/3rds) The typical child will view 8000 murders and 100,000 acts of violence on tv along, before the age of 18. The cathartic effect - watching violence helps people relieve their stress/violent impulses, and therefore decrease violence (has been posited but not much evidence) Potter (2003) - studied effects of watching tv violence. Short and long term increases in aggressive behaviours. Using manipulations of exposure, to explore the impact of tv on aggression. Problem: hard to find people without access to tv. Centerwall: tv violence responsible for of violent homicides in the us, canada, and sa. Evidence shows tv violence increases violent behaviour.