Association in Cognitive Theory?

Question

How can the Cognitive Theory be associated between the media and crime? Do you feel that this more prevalent in children or in adults?

Answer 1

Cognitive theory is focused on the individual's thoughts as the determinate of his or her emotions and behaviors and therefore personality.  By changing our thoughts, we can change our mood, decrease our anxiety, or improve our relationships.  We can quit smoking, make more friends, and enjoy our jobs more.  The basic premise: If we perceive the glass as half full rather than half empty, the world will look much brighter; In a brighter world, we are happier individuals.  --http://allpsych.com/personalitysynopsis/...

Knowing the above its reasonable to assume that as media outlets cover crime, people who have a high emontional reaction to that coverage will be more likely to commit a crime in the future.  

I think this would be more prevalent in adults as they have histories to base thier emotional reactions from.  Children do not have such long histories and thus may become angry or hateful, but will quickly lose that feeling as other media campaign's such as toy comercials will quickly replace feelings caused by crime coverage.