Premium
The influence of violent video material on cognitive task performance
Author(s) -
Kline Linda M.,
Greene Terry R.,
Noice Helga
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
psychology in the schools
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.738
H-Index - 75
eISSN - 1520-6807
pISSN - 0033-3085
DOI - 10.1002/1520-6807(199007)27:3<228::aid-pits2310270308>3.0.co;2-y
Subject(s) - psychology , task (project management) , cognition , cognitive psychology , poison control , creativity , social psychology , neuroscience , medicine , environmental health , management , economics
A study was designed to determine whether viewing violent video material may have an effect on cognitive task performance. College students were randomly placed into one of four conditions in which they either (a) viewed a humorous video segment, (b) viewed a neutral video segment, (c) viewed a violent video segment, or (d) received a gift, before performing a cognitive task. The cognitive task involved word generation. Subjects were given a category name and asked to generate as many exemplars of the category as possible. Subjects who had viewed violent video material generated significantly fewer exemplars and less unusual exemplars than did subjects in other conditions. It was suggested that viewing violent video material may inhibit creativity, possibly due to lesser activation of the semantic network, and thus may have a negative influence on cognitive task performance. It was also suggested that the emotions that accompany the viewing of violent material may decrease the resources available for other forms of information processing.
Accelerating Research
Robert Robinson Avenue,
Oxford Science Park, Oxford
OX4 4GP, United Kingdom
Address
John Eccles HouseRobert Robinson Avenue,
Oxford Science Park, Oxford
OX4 4GP, United Kingdom