The Effect of Violence in Media on Attitude towards Criminal Acts - Coursework Example

The Effect of Violence in Media on Attitude towards Criminal Acts Introduction The present technological and informational age is characterized by fast communication. Mass media including terrestrial and satellite-based television, radio, newspapers, films, and the internet have become ubiquitous (Browne, 2011). In particular, the innovations in computational technology has brought about the arrival of screen-based, digital, ‘new media’ that is more pervasive than ever, reaching out to mass audiences. The implications have been quite severe as violence has perpetrated into mass media. Violence – as depicted by pornography on the internet and other forms of violence in television dramas, films, soaps, and computer games – has now become an internal part of popular culture. And due to the mass nature of media, a significant portion of the human populace is exposed to such violence via media channels. The impact of exposure to violence has been often associated with the rise in crimes and violence. In addition, many studies carried out have also found out the correlation between media violence and the aggression scale of young children. This area has been explored quite widely in the discipline of sociology as well as psychology. This research will explore the impact of media violence on the attitudes of individuals towards criminal acts. As such, it will help in obtaining an understanding of the responsiveness of such individuals, after being exposed to violent content, to socially illicit crimes. The research subject is especially important as technology is constantly innovating as a result of which mass media is expanding its influence. With these developments, violence is also increasing in its prevalence thereby leading to sociological issues that impact the individual as well as the society at large due to its negative implications. The effect of violent content in media has well been investigated previously with quite an extensive amount of research and literature being present on the subject. An equally extensive work has been done to study the effect of violence on young children; their aggressive behavior, development, psychological disturbances, and so on. However, the current literature somewhat lacks relevant study on the impact of violent media on attitude towards criminal acts. An individual’s attitude is a central component of his or her behavior and psychologists attach great importance to the variable. For the sake of this research, attitude is again an important determinant of how people respond when they witness criminal acts of violence. This behavior is dependent upon an individual’s previous exposure to violence. The findings from a research conducted by Bushman and Anderson (2009) showed that participants who had watched a violent film took longer to help an injured woman than those who had not watched the violent film. In another study conducted by the same authors, respondents who played a violent video game were less likely to notice violent acts and to respond to calls for help. In short, exposure to violence is shown to have affected the affective, cognitive as well as behavioral processes of such individuals thereby causing desensitization (Funk, Baldacci, Pasold, and Baumgardner, 2003) and hence, an unsatisfactory response to covert calls for help. On a societal scale, the findings are not pleasing as they demonstrate the lack of attentiveness and response to calls for help if a criminal act is happening on the scene. Thus, the research question will examine the societal impacts of such desensitization as it affects attitude towards acts of crimes. The research may propose and lead on to other studies that link a change in attitude to crime prevention and other motivations behind criminal acts. Also, it may consider the currently established notions on the contrasting impact of violence in media including copycatting, catharsis, desensitization, sensitization, psychological disturbances, and so on (Browne, 2011). As the scope of mass media expands, the research will prove to be relevant in terms of providing an insight into the sociological aspect of media violence and how it affects individuals and societies with the rise in crime rates and the attitude of the public. Method The research question is of an essentially sociological nature as it addresses the impact on attitude of an individual with relation to the greater external surrounding of the society. A review of the available literature suggests that violence in mass media is a key promoter of desensitization due to which the exposed individuals are less likely to be responsive to empathetic acts (Bushman and Anderson, 2009). Another research has shown a similar effect as caused by violence in television, films, computer games, and the internet (Funk, Baldacci, Pasold, and Baumgardner, 2003). However, this research needs much more than a presently established claim. A scientific method is required so as to proceed with the research involving firstly, the formulation of a hypothesis for a correlational research so as to investigate the relationship between violence in media and attitude towards criminal acts. Null Hypothesis (H0): There is no relationship between violence in media and attitude towards criminal acts, that is, attitude towards criminal acts is independent of exposure to violence. In short, there is no correlation between the two variables. Alternate Hypothesis (H1): There is a relationship between violence in media and attitude towards criminal acts, that is, attitude towards criminal acts is dependent upon an individual’s exposure to violence. Meaning, there is a correlation between the two variables. In order to test the formulated claim, the hypothesis can be tested for a correlation. In this case, a survey research can be conducted by using a questionnaire that is formulated to specifically include those items that study the respondent’s response to a wide range of situations. But before the respondents take a survey, they will be asked to undergo a preliminary study. This preliminary study would divide the respondents into two groups of equal sample size, that is 50. One of the groups would be asked to watch a violent thriller or horror film such as the Saw series while the other group would be asked to watch other genres of films. The time the respondent will be asked to watch the movie will be recorded. Once the respondents from the two groups have been exposed to a violent and non-violent film for a fixed period of time, the respondents will participate in the survey and answer the questionnaire. The purpose of the survey will be to record how the respondents would react if they were put at a scene of crime. The items would articulate diverse scenarios along with a stated response or action. The response would be recorded on a Likert scale of 10 points starting from unlikely (1) and extremely likely (10). The responses could demonstrate the link between exposure to violence in media, which in this case is a film, and their attitude towards criminal acts. Evaluation of the Method One of the major advantages of using a survey research such as a questionnaire is that it can incorporate a large random sample while being inexpensive at the same time. Also, many questionnaires have the advantage of being anonymous so that respondents do not have to feel embarrassed thereby reducing the likelihood of having distorted responses. However, using a questionnaire can greatly increase the chances of distorted details of experiences. Also, many respondents fail to decide correctly and many do not take the questionnaire seriously thereby leading to unproductive outputs. Apart from distortion, doing a survey makes the responses susceptible to volunteer and researcher bias. Volunteer bias results from wrong sampling where the respondents do not correctly represent the population. Interviewer bias, on the other hand, may unintentionally influence the participating respondent’s responses thereby leading to the collection of undesired data. Another alternative method of research is observation where the participants are observed thereby leaving them enough space for acclimatization with significantly lower chances of response distortions. Also, observational research allows the respondents to remain in their natural manner while being observed thereby reducing the possibility of not knowing the response. Many laboratory observations can eliminate certain external variables so as to control them. However like any other research method, they have the disadvantage of incorporating a subject bias where the participants or volunteers do not appropriately represent the population. Observations can also be taken in natural settings, which is the least prone to distortions. However, observational research is time consuming although relatively more appropriate. Another method of research includes the use of case studies in order to investigate the different variables involved. Although the cases can provide the relevant and varied cases on the subject, such case studies tend to be case-specific and may not represent the general population thereby introducing biases and anomalies. Many case studies are also region-specific, that is, they do not apply to a different region or place again leading to issues in data collection which may later hurt the findings. Experiments can also be conducted so as to determine the interdependence of the independent and dependent variables. However, in such a method, it is often difficult to control certain variables, that are external in nature, may interact to produce undesired results. Furthermore, biases can be introduced into the experiment as the experimenter’s perceived outcomes influence the results of the experiment. Such expectations by the experimenter can deviate their attention in ways that eventually distort the collected data. Hence, care should be taken when controlling the variables and when collecting the data. For the sake of this research, primary research seems an appropriate way of testing this research question. Although secondary sources of data can be used when conducting a research, this research includes a question that has been, to some extent, remains under-researched. Hence, it is necessary to conduct a primary research where the data s collected based on the proposed research design. It is important to note that this research necessitates a primary research as all the research conducting around the subject is insufficient to explore the question. Thus, a secondary research on the question would not have been appropriate as the relationship between the two under-researched variables needs to be performed. Perhaps there are also many pitfalls in using questionnaires as the data collection method however they provide an easy way to collect data. While questionnaires are not ideal for such a research involving a measure of attitude, other methods of research may not prove to be as effective as correlational research. Here, the relationship between the variables, exposure to violence and attitude towards criminal acts, is being tested so as to allow a useful analysis of the data. Hence, a corelational research method was chosen so as to determine the relationship and to test the formulated hypothesis. Conclusion Once the data is collected, it needs to analyzed in order to determine the correlation between the two variables: violence in media and attitude towards criminal acts. For a greater ease in analyzing the data and drawing conclusions, the responses will have to quantified so as to give a meaningful result. Ideally, an increase in sample size reduces the sampling error and increases the reliability. Moreover, validity tests including chi squared test and t test can be applied to the data so as to ensure to the validity of the data. The obtained data, if confirming the relationship between exposure to violence in media and attitude towards criminal acts, will aid an understanding of the impact of mass media and its desensitization of the individual. Since the matter has great societal implications, the conclusions will also help in understanding criminal motivations or lack of witness responses in case of criminal actions. It will help to understand the motivations behind criminal acts and how violence in mass media seemingly promotes such acts by desensitizing the individual thereby leading to serious implications for the society. Also, the findings will allow us to know how developmental changes within individuals may be impaired and how sensory astuteness may be inhibited as a result. Above all, the findings will encourage further research into the subject. The research will enable greater insights as to the amount of violence contained in mass media and human behavior is manipulated so as to tolerate varying levels of violence in day to day life. References Browne, K. (2011). An Introduction to Sociology (1st ed.). Cambridge, UK: Polity Press. Bushman, B., & Anderson, C. (2009). Comfortably numb desensitizing effects of violent media on helping others. Psychological Science, 20(3), 273--277. Funk, J., Baldacci, H., 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. Read More