Emotional habituation to filmed violence employing the startle probe response

This thesis reports on research examining the habituation of emotional variables to filmed violence. The following subjective emotional variables were assessed: positive feelings, anxiety, disgust, entertainment and anger. In addition, an objective measure of emotional response was recorded physiologically, using the startle eyeblink response. The mediating influence of personality, individual differences and contextual features on an individuals’ perception of and reaction to filmed violence were also explored. Study one was exploratory in nature served to identify and select the film stimuli to be employed in the subsequent studies. The primary aim of the study was to allow for the identification of violent stimuli considered to be most socially and culturally relevant. The present research builds on existing scientific literature which has began to appreciate that differences in the context of a portrayal holds important implications for its impact on viewers. Thus, a secondary and more specific desire of study one was to obtain an evaluation of the contextual features of the violent film segments. A sample of 30 participants viewed and rated the film stimuli on the variables of realism, fantasy and violence. From this exploratory study four violent film stimuli were subsequently employed. Study 2 used the eyeblink startle response proposed by Vrana, Spence and Lang (1988) to explore the habituation of emotional variables to a realistic depiction of filmed violence. Emotional response was assessed both objectively, using the eyeblink startle response and subjectively through individuals self-reports. In addition the study investigated the significance of individual differences as mediators of emotional response. Questionnaire and physiological data were obtained from 30 participants. Overall, repeated exposure to filmed violence resulted in a decline in both objective and subjective emotional response. Differences were identified in the manner in which men and women responded to the film. Women reacted initially and over time with more intense physiological and psychological reactions to the violent film than males. Specifically, men displayed more curiosity and reported greater entertainment and positive feelings in response to the film, whilst women found the violence more disgusting and reported higher levels of anger and anxiety. It was found that the eyeblink startle magnitude paralleled the subjective emotional processing of the violent film, thus providing further confirmatory evidence of its validity in the investigation of emotional reactions to a stimulus. Personality factors were found to mediate emotional response to filmed violence, with neuroticism most powerfully implicated. High levels of neuroticism were found to be associated with greater anger and anxiety and less positive feelings whilst viewing violent film. A high score on extraversion was correlated with higher levels of anger and lower levels of curiosity and entertainment. Whilst the aims of study 3 were identical to that of study 2, a variation in the contextual feature of the violent film stimuli under investigation was the distinguishing and pertinent feature. Study 2 provided data on the habituation of emotional response to a realistic depiction of filmed violence. Study 3 was concerned with emotional response over repeated exposure to a fantasized violent depiction. Therefore, allowing for a comparison regarding the effects of context on emotional response. The results of study 3, with respect to habituation of emotional response, personality and individual differences, were similar to that obtained in study 2. A comparison of the two studies, however, revealed that individuals responded significantly different to the contextual features of the violent portrayal. Compared to the fantasised portrayal the realistic film stimulus was reported to be more digusting, anxiety provoking and less entertaining. In addition, and not surprisingly respondents reported that the realistic portrayal resulted in the production of more anger and less positive feelings