Below are the guided questions given by the professor
and some of my responses based on what I've read (to alleviate a bit of the work). Please reach out if you have
any questions.
Questions
What was the rationale for the current research (the answer to this should often include previous literature or
theory)?
- limited literature on the subject of combining humor/violence
- comedic programming has more violence per hour than other programs (Potter & Warren 1998)
- humor being used to trivialize violence (Potter & Warren 1998)
- trivialized violence is the most likely to be imitated
- humor has a significant negative correlation with the perceived violence in a program (Sander 1997)
- perps of violence in tv programs use humor to dehumanize victims to undermine emotional responses from
viewers (Bandura 1990)
What is the current hypothesis (or hypotheses if there are more than 1)?
When combined with humor, viewers will be desensitized to violent acts. Furthermore, this desensitization will
cause viewers to engage in violent behavior.
How many participants were in the study? Describe the group of participants (gender, age, race, religion).
3 participants as judges: 30 year old male customer service rep, 29 year old female social worker and 63 year
old female former academic administrator in a college
Describe the procedure. In other words, what happened to the participants from the time they began the study
until the time it ended. Make sure to include any measures (surveys or questionnaires) and/or materials
(technology or props).
Sample Solution