Stockholm syndrome describes a psychological phenomenon wherein captives who have no control over their fate and are who are experiencing intense fear of physical harm, develop sympathetic and supportive feelings toward their captors. Continue reading
The Bystander Effect denotes a social psychological scenario where a victim in an emergency situation is not offered help by surrounding individuals, even though they are aware that the victim needs assistance. Continue reading
When we think of the term “psychologist” a variety of adjectives usually come to mind – with words such as brilliant, calm, insightful, professional, concerned and helpful likely among them. And when we consider those psychologists who performed groundbreaking research, who contributed most significantly to the human lifestyle and who initiated major positive changes in society, our admiration perhaps grows even more. But things are not always as they seem. They say there is a fine line between genius and insanity. For a few of the most influential men in the field of psychology, the saying probably rings true.
It is a generally accepted fact that the media influence how persons construct and perceive reality. It is also widely “believed that repeated exposure to real-life and to entertainment violence may alter cognitive, affective, and behavioral processes, possibly leading to desensitization” (Funk, Baldacci, Pasold & Baumgardner, 2003). The term desensitization refers to the weakening of cognitive, emotional, and, ultimately, behavioral responses to a particular stimulus.
Desensitization to violence is slow and subtle, and may occur as a consequence of “repeated exposure to real-life violence, as well as from exposure to media violence” (Funk, et al., 2003). Continue reading
