Media Violence Answer Scheme

Questions on Passage 1 1 Explain what each of the 3 words/phrases used by the author tells us about the violence that children watch: [3]

Lifted (a) romanticized (line 2)

Paraphrased Violence has been glamourized; made to look heroic [1] It is cleaned up; made to look less bloody or gory/less harmful [1] There is an overwhelming/incessant/ deliberate exposure to violence. [1]

(b) sanitized (line 2)

(c) bombarded with (line 3)

In Paragraph 1, what does the author find objectionable about the entertainment industrys part to play in media violence? Answer in your own words as far as possible. [2]

Lifted Rather than helping to shoulder some of the growing burden, the entertainment industry too often has chosen to go behind the parents backs, targeting the sale of violent, adult-rated products directly at children. (Lines 4-6)

Paraphrased Instead of helping to address the problem of increased violence portrayed in the media, [1/2]

the entertainment industry markets violent products to children with parents kept in the dark / unaware [1/2]

This greatly increases the odds that children will be exposed to materials that hundreds of studies have conclusively shown can be harmful to them. (Lines 6-7)

The entertainment industry makes children even more vulnerable to/unprotected from destructive influences [1]

Explain why the evidence provided by the author in lines 9 12 is credible. [1]

Lifted The conclusions drawn on the basis of over 30 years of research contributed by American Psychological Association (APA) members including the Surgeon-Generals report in 1972, the National Institute of Mental Healths report in 1982, and the industry-funded, three-year National Television Study in 1990s (Lines 912)

Paraphrased Established/ authoritative sources [1/2] A variety of sources/studies across an extended period of time [1/2] implying that there is a proper follow-up to the research OR Multiple sources allow for corroboration of research data [1/2]

How, in Paragraph 2, might children be affected by repeated exposure to media violence? Answer in your own words as far as possible. [2]

Lifted The repeated exposure to violence in the mass media places children at risk for increases in aggression, desensitization,

Paraphrased Children become more violent/display more violent behaviour [1/2]

see violence as the norm/ come to accept the level of violence that they see [1/2] Children are worried that they will be threatened [1/2]

unrealistic increases in the fear of becoming a victim of violence,

which results in the development of other negative characteristics, such as mistrust of others.

and this leads to undesirable traits/qualities (e.g. they become suspicious/apprehensive of others) [1/2]

According to the author in Paragraph 5, why does advertising directed at children generate concern? Answer in your own words as far as possible. [2]

Lifted The average child is exposed to approximately 20,000 commercials. This is only for television and does not include print or the Internet . Much of this is during weekend morning or weekday afternoon programming. the inability of some children to appreciate

Paraphrased Large volume of exposure to the influence of advertising [1/2]

Lack of/no parental supervision [1/2]

Children lack the maturity to understand the deceptive/misleading/convincing nature of advertising [1/2] Children are vulnerable to advertising / not able to say no to the advertisements [1/2]

and defend against the persuasive intent of marketing

Questions from Passage 2

What does the word alarmists (line 9) suggest about the critics of media violence? *1+

Lifted alarmists

Paraphrased They exaggerate/ intentionally cause fear. [1]

What defence can be given to media violence on each of the following? [1]

Lifted (a) artistic grounds (line 39)

Paraphrased Media violence is acceptable as one should have the freedom of expression in art. [1/2]

(b) aesthetic grounds (line 39)

Media violence can also be defended on the grounds of the need to appeal to our visual sense of beauty. [1/2]

8 In blaming media violence (line 44), certain characteristics of the nations leaders are revealed. Suggest 2 such characteristics. [2]

Lifted By criticizing the media for airing too much violence, they give the impression that they are doing something about the violence that pervades American society. In the process, they also deflect the publics attention from the real- more difficultcauses of teen violence. (Line 44-48)

Paraphrased Morally irresponsible, irresponsible Deceptive/dishonest Self-serving

(Note: Be open to a range of answers).

9 In Paragraph 7, the author gives what he considers to be the real causes of violence in American society. Explain how each of the following might result in aggressive behaviour among teens. [2]

Lifted (a) poverty and unemployment (Line 48) (b) racial discrimination (Line 48)

Paraphrased Poor and unemployed teens may turn to violence/ commit crimes for survival/money. [1] Racial discrimination can take the form of acts of bullying, abuse and violence against minority groups and lead to conflicts. [1] OR Racially discriminated groups may retaliate through the use of violence [1]

10

Vocabulary [5]

Word prone to violence (L22)

Word form verb

1 mark inclined; predisposed; showing a tendency

mark

0 mark susceptible

precedent for concern (L46)

noun

an earlier occurrence; a previous occurrence

example pattern

gratuitous violence (L40)

adjective

unwarranted needless unessential unnecessary not required

unjustified

free complementary

pervades American society (L46)

adjective

permeates spreads through spreads across suffuses

invades penetrates influences

deflect the publics attention (L47)

verb

turn aside distract divert

deviate turn

diverge avoid turn away move

11 Summarise why the studies conducted on media violence do not prove that watching violent programmes causes teenagers to commit violent acts.

Using material from Paragraphs 2-5, write your summary in no more than 120 words. Use your own words as far as possible. [8]

No. 1

Points a. Studies done in laboratories have been found to be problematic. b. Because they take place in laboratories, c. their results cannot be generalized to the real world. (Line 16-18)

Paraphrased Such studies are debatable/ questionable [1]

as they take place in a controlled environment. [1/2]

Hence, their findings may not be applicable to society/ do not adequately reflect reality. [1/2] There is no way to establish the link between violent television shows and aggressive behaviour [1] Childrens behaviour may have been influenced by television violence. [1/2] They may also behave violently to fulfil researchers predictions. [1/2]

It is also impossible to determine whether the aggressive behaviour observed is a reaction to the violent television show or an attempt on the part to meet the adult researchers expectations. (Line 18-20)

The aggression behaviour is a The violence displayed could be merely a response to short-term response stimuli; does the violent programme/ no reason to assume that there not indicate the child is on the will be long term consequences [1] path to becoming a violent-career criminal. (Line 20-22) Correlational studies is also problematic as it can also be reasonably argued that watching violent television programmes is caused by the childs pre-existing tendency to be aggressive. (Line 30-31) The teens violent conduct could be due to a natural inclination to violent behaviour [1]

It is probably personality characteristics which make children more aggressive that cause them to prefer violent television programmes. (Line 3132) Poor/lax parenting. Hence it is possible that the real source of the problem is family management. (Line 35-37)

It is not violent TV that makes children belligerent, but that belligerent children prefer violent TV programmes to begin with. [1]

The fundamental issue is perhaps parental negligence/ lack of effective parental guidance. [1]

12 Lieberman supports the view that exposure to media violence contributes to violent behaviour while Barbour asserts that watching violent programmes does not necessarily cause teenagers to commit violent acts. Which author do you agree with more? Justify your answer by referring to the arguments in both passages and using your own reasoning and experience. [6] Points from Passage 1 They are constantly being bombarded with glamorized and sanitized visions of violence which could lead to desensitization, increased aggression etc. The media shuns the responsibility and instead employs aggressive marketing tactics unknown to parents that target the sales of violent products directly at children. Children learn through observation and will model what they observe on TV the media and advertising world provides such a window. Sheer volume of advertisements and programmes that portray violence, coupled with childrens lack of maturity leaves them defenceless against the idea that aggressive behaviour is attractive / acceptable. Large volume of advertising targeted at children who are vulnerable/lack the maturity to understand the nature of aggressive marketing.

Points from Passage 2 Critics of media violence tend to exaggerate matters/intentionally incite fear. There is a lack of conclusive findings on the direct causal link between television violence and real-life aggression. Problematic aspects of laboratory studies and correlational studies. Poor/lax parenting over childrens television viewing is the fundamental source of problem. Teenagers resort to violence because the real-life situations that they are in such as poverty, unemployment, racial discrimination tempts them to do sothe debate over media violence misses the point / is an attempt to distract the public from the real and more difficult issues