Daphne Lavers

In the viewpoint that follows, Daphne Lavers argues that since their inception, movies and television have offered viewers increasingly violent fare, and she notes that the increase in media violence coincides with an overall increase in rates of violent crime. Lavers cites research showing that repeated exposure to media violence desensitizes viewers to violence and conditions them to associate violence with pleasure. In the most extreme cases, violent films have caused viewers to copy the murders portrayed on-screen. Lavers is a Toronto-based freelance journalist specializing in science, technology, and broadcasting issues.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. What percent increase in television violence did the Parents Television Council report in its 2000–2001 study, as compared to its 1998–1999 study, as cited by the author?
2. What is the difference between operant and classical conditioning, according to psychologist David Grossman...