Today i passed by my parents room and my dad just happened to be watching some violent western. I watched a few minutes of it and realized that it related to this assignment and the social learning theory in chapter 13. Part of the theory states that viewers imitate what they see on tv through a process known as observational learning. In this case, which may seem a little off, robbing a bank can clearly be taken into consideration as relating to social learning. In a western, robbing banks is what the characters do. Someone watching this type of act and the violence that comes along with it can learn that maybe they too can have success with this crime.
I know that this may seem extreme, but it important to realize that what you watch on tv effects how you act, whether you believe it or not. TV either makes you have possible violent acts or it can even help you to solve a problem. Even if it's an episode of Law and Order, there are key things that you take from a program that can either better or life or worsen it and it is all due to observational learning from the social learning theory.
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Studies have shown that viewers do imitate what they see on tv and they portray it to be real. What you watch on tv really does affect your behavior if you believe the character on the tv show can do it then why can't I? Or what seperates them from us? Reality. TV is not real and for some reason many people today still believe that it is.
For example look at the violence in schools over the years. Many of these kids according to police, watched violent movies and played violent video games.Observational learning from a video game is learning violence and how to be violent against others. A tv show usually does not confront a problem because the plot of the show is violence. This is where a big problem in our country lies. Where children do not understand how to seperate reality from tv.
Parents need to be more involved in what their children are doing and watching even if they go to a friends house. They have to sit down and talk with their kids that there is a huge difference between tv and reality.
i agree with you that the tv/ media has effects on the way we act. I feel like it is almost like the media/ tv shows are like "fantasy" worlds that we escape to and at times may try to have them become our worlds, and than people just get lost in whats "reality" and whats just for entertainment.
Yet like you stated about the Law and Order example, you can take some positive things from a show like try to solve problems, that I too agree with. Its like little lessons we can obtain from the media too without actauly havign to "live it" out in a sense.
I tend to agree with everyone else's comments on here, but I don't think that violence in schools over the years is a direct result of violent tv and video games.
I say that because there are always exceptions to the rules. Take the game "Grand Theft Auto" for example. Its a game that millions of people play and enjoy, and after its over, most people don't get the urge to beat up a hooker or steal a car. Yet, those people, the exception to the rule if you will, the people that do get those urges, are the people that end up on the news, and for good reason.
I think that the Social Learning Theory is a good theory, that when people watch violence or explicit content they will be more likely to imitate it. But I don't think that violence is solely to blame. It has to be something in the person's brain that causes them to act on their impulses when they see things like that, because if not, everyone would be committing crimes.
true life. i agree with tom. people are responsible for their own actions, regardless of the influences of mediums. the thing that people cannot prevent though, because we are conditioned, is the fact that people always come up with ideas through influence of the media. for instance, the robbing banks deal would not be such a good idea to some, but it suddenly does pop into people's heads when they go flat broke and certain people even play a snippet of a movie in their head. smart people, after replaying the bank robbery and the consequences, will shake their head no and just laugh. but certain people will actually just follow through. even though people may not take it that seriously, the thought from a movie they saw still comes up when put in certain situations. honestly though, if it was 100% fact that mass violence and sex from the media were responsible for high crime rates and oversexed teens, then there is no such thing as psychological disorders and hormones.
I agree that people are responsible for their own actions, but I don’t think we can deny that the things we watch on tv or see in movies have an effect on us, mentally. I never really thought about it until now, but when I’m watching a bank robbery or crime show I can’t help but think hey, I could do that better. Most people won’t actually do it or become violent because of the games they play. But it could have some influence on the right type of person. I just don’t think it directly affects how most people act.
i more agree than disagree with what kellie has to say. I belive that waht we watch can EVENTUALLY have an effect on us. I watch a variety of different movies and TV shows, this includes violent and overtly sexual content, but that does not mean i believe i am going to go kill anyone. I will admit that my favorite TV and movie characters influence me day to day language and personality. I imiatate waht i see just like most people, when it comes to "fad" speach. But again the violent things i watch do not really affect my thinking.
I was very sheltered in regards to my TV adn movie viewing as a kid, i wasnt even allowed to watch power rangers. I am still a natuaraly skiddish person, i frighten easliy and think every bad that could happen will. I felt this way before i began to watch violent TV and movies. in that way these things have only helped, they always catch the bad guy in the end.
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