How Does Violence in the Mass Media Affect Audiences

question 5

Multiple Choice

How does violence in the mass media affect audiences?

• A)It exerts a strong and direct influence; people act out almost exactly what they see in the mass media.
• B)It has a weak effect on a small percentage of viewers.
• C)It has a strong influence on teenagers only
• D)Research on this subject is inconclusive.

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Definitions:

Negative Reinforcer

A stimulus whose removal immediately after a response increases the frequency of that response in the future.

Immediate Reinforcer

A reward that occurs directly following a behavior, which increases the likelihood of that behavior being repeated.

Variable-ratio Schedule

A reinforcement schedule in operant conditioning where a response is rewarded after an unpredictable number of responses, which tends to produce high and steady rates of response.

Continuous Reinforcement

A method of learning where every correct response is reinforced every time, leading to faster acquisition of behavior but quicker extinction once reinforcement stops.