Psychology †Aggression Experiment Essay

Proposal Our investigation focuses on violence in the media and the affects that it has on viewers that watch it, a person’s heart rate can be monitored to see if watching certain films will affect the viewers. We predict that violence in the media does not affect an audience. To support the hypothesis we will conduct an experiment using a sample group of Yr.11 students which attend Westminster school. Three different varied films will be shown for 3 minutes, Educating Rita, Braveheart and Bugsy Malone. During each film heart rates will be taken at the half-way point and the end to get qualitative results. The independent variable in this experiment is the actual violence viewed by the audience and the dependent variable is the heart rate that will be recorded by the participants. The data that is found will be analysed to support the hypothesis, this will be done using graphs. Introduction This SACE approved research program was conducted to investigate the effects of violent and aggressive films on a collection of Year 11 Psychology students. We hypothesize that violence in the media does not affect an audience. To support our hypothesis an experiment was conducted using a class of Year 11 psychology students, where they were exposed to three film clips (Educating Rita, Brave Heart and Bugsy Malone). As the participants viewed these exerts, their heart rates were recorded during and at the conclusion of each clip to determine any changes in heart rate levels. The data that was found and used in this experiment is quantitative data. Our results are displayed in a bar graph using the mean value for each gender. Results Discussion The hypothesis of this experiment was that violence in the media does not affect an audience; this was supported through the results found throughout the duration of the experiment. The results showed little to no change in the viewer’s heart rate while watching the prescribed film exerts: Educating Rita, Braveheart and Bugsy Malone. The exact results are shown in graph 1, which displays the base rate, the heart rate half way through the clip and at the duration of the exert. The graph shows that whilst the participants watched Educating Rita, at the midway point of the clip their heart rate increased by 2bpm which is a mere 1.2%. When the heart rates were tested again at the duration of the clip, the mean value in the participant’s heart rates didn’t change at all. The heart rates taken during the Braveheart clip, show that the majority of participants heart rates actually fell by 3bpm. During the clip taken from Bugsy Malone, the average heart rate at the half way point decreased by 4bmp, but then increased by 6bpm at the duration of the film. Although, this data could have been skewed by two outliers who had very heart rates which may have been the cause of the results increasing. Overall there is not a huge increase of the heart rates after watching each film exert, as the greatest average in change of heart rate was only 6bpm. The difference in the results is so small that wouldn’t be considered as important, so this could also suggest that when violence and comedy are mixed together a greater reaction from the viewers is found. My investigation was really an unrepresentative sample group as it lacked much diversity at all. It consisted of only Year 11 Westminster School students who study psychology, also the group lacked much variety in terms of religion, background and beliefs. To make the experiment more accurate there needed to have been participants from different age groups, cultures and an even balance of the two genders to make the results more accurate and reliable. There were a few particular weaknesses in the experiment that fell under the extraneous variables category; one was that the class might have been anxious and excited about using the heart rate monitors which could have affected the overall results. Also, before the experiment begun the participants were playing with the heart rate monitors and testing them out, which may have enabled people to figure out how to slow and fasten their heart rate. There is a possibility that the participants could have been embarrassed or self-conscious of their results, so when their peers asked or saw their results sheet they may have felt inclined to change their results. During the experiment there were minor ethical issues that could have been handled better. This included confidentiality; participants were given an identification number at the beginning of the experiment, and it was quite easy for other participants to find out others identification numbers, making this a breach of their confidentiality. Another issue that became apparent was the point of voluntary participation. Although each participate did in fact have the option to either participate or not, the researcher suggested that if they did not participate their grades would be put in jeopardy and could inevitably not pass their SACE, or the semester’s worth of work. This definitely placed pressure on the participants to take part in the experiment. The last major ethical issue that arose during the experiment was when each participant was to sign an agreement which said they were willing to take part in the experiment, and if they were under the age of sixteen their parent of legal guardian was to sign on their behalf. At this point, participants asked if they were close to the age of sixteen (ranging from 1 week to 2 months) whether they could sign it themselves. The researcher then said they were happy for them to sign it themselves, and didn’t really mind either way. This is against the rules and rights of the experiment, and the researcher should have made sure that every student under the age of sixteen had their consent for signed by someone who was either a parent of legal guardian. The investigation has accurately met the hypothesis set; violence in the media does not affect an audience. Graph 1 clearly shows the minimal change in heart rates of nearly all the participants besides from negligible outliers. Although, there is a high possibility that the results would be different if the group of participants were selected with more diverse character and personality traits in mind. Nevertheless, I still believe the results are fairly consistent. The only factor that could possibly alter the results if the experiment was to be conducted again, would most likely be the day, time of day that it was undertaken and any underlying distractions to the participants. Words: 850