Desensitization to media violence over a short period of time

Abstract

This study investigated the desensitization to violence over a short period of time. Participants watched nine violent movie scenes and nine comedy scenes, and reported whether they enjoyed the violent or comedy scenes and whether they felt sympathetic toward the victim of violence. Using latent growth modeling, analyses were carried out to investigate how participants responded to the different scenes across time. The findings of this study suggested that repeated exposure to media violence reduces the psychological impact of media violence in the short term, therefore desensitizing viewers to media violence. As a result, viewers tended to feel less sympathetic toward the victims of violence and actually enjoy more the violence portrayed in the media. Additionally, desensitization to media violence was better represented by a curvilinear pattern, whereas desensitization to comedy scenes was better represented by a linear pattern. Finally, trait aggression was not related to the pattern of change over time, although significant effects were found for initial reports of enjoyment and sympathy. Aggr.

The Longitudinal Relationship Between Media Violence and Empathy: Was It Sympathy All Along?

“…This notion is in line with modern extensions of the GAM, which suggest that desensitization specifically leads to a reduction of sympathy for the victim (Bushman & Anderson, 2009;Carnagey et al, 2007). It is also supported by findings from an experimental study demonstrating a reduction of sympathy (e.g., "At the end of the clip I felt sorry for the victim of violence") after repeated exposure to violent clips (Fanti, Vanman, Henrich, & Avraamides, 2009). Based on the measurement issues associated with prior work, as well as theoretical accounts, we posit the following hypothesis:…”

Parental Desensitization to Violence and Sex in Movies

“…One study that compared repeated exposure to arousing comedic versus violent film clips found a much weaker and different pattern of desensitization in response to comedic clips, suggesting that arousal is not sufficient to produce desensitization. 13 Other research reached the same conclusion. 18 Parents were asked, "How likely is it that you would allow (target child) to see this movie in the future?"…”

“…1 An alternative and not necessarily incompatible explanation for this "ratings creep" is that parents on CARA' s rating board and in the general population have become desensitized by repeated exposure to increasing amounts of violence and sex in films. 5 Desensitization occurs when repeated exposure to a disturbing stimulus reduces the emotional response to that content, 7 a phenomenon that has been observed in response to violent [8][9][10][11][12][13] and sexual media. 14 Consistent with this interpretation, a Kaiser Family Foundation survey of over 1000 parents found that parents were less concerned about their children' s exposure to sex (51% vs 67%) and violence (46% vs 62%) in 2006 than in 1998.…”

This is your brain on violent video games: Neural desensitization to violence predicts increased aggression following violent video game exposure

“…This theory is supported by research showing that violent media exposure is associated with decreased cardiovascular (e.g., Carnagey, Anderson, & Bushman, 2007;Linz, Donnerstein, & Adams, 1989), electrodermal (e.g., Cline, Croft, & Courier, 1973), neural (Bartholow, Bushman, & Sestir, 2006), and empathic responses (e.g., Fanti, Vanman, Henrich, & Avraamides, 2009) during depictions of real violence.…”