MEDIA

MEDIA

1. MEDIA INFLUENCE ON PROSOCIAL BEHAVIOUR

   • EXPLANATIONS FOR MEDIA INFLUENCES
     • EXPOSURE TO PROSOCIAL BEHAVIOUR
       • KRUNKEL
         • content analysis = 2/3 Childrens tv programmes contained at least one act of violence
       • GREENBURG
         • equal amounts of both prosocial and antisocial in tv
       • MARES & WOODARD (meta-analysis) = MIXED MESSAGES - reduced positive behaviour and increased aggressive behaviour
       • LOVELACE & HUSTON = prosocial effects achieved by setting prosocial goals against antisocial ones in the same programme
       • Woodard = US programmes for pre-schoolers did have high levels of prosocial content - 77% contained at least one prosocial lesson.
         • HOWEVER.... only 4/20 most watched shows for under 27s contained any prosocial lessons!
     • PARENTAL MEDIATION
       • RICE ET AL
         • enhanced the learning effect in children who watched Sesame St.
       • ROSENKOETTER
         • Children as young as 7 able to understand complex material in adult sitcoms
       • AUSTIN
         • Parent must discuss concepts and material with children
       • VALKENBURG -- only effective if its 'instructive mediation' not 'social co-viewing' where there is no discussion
     • DEVELOPMENTAL FACTORS
       • EISENBURG
         • Skills linked to behaviour develop throughout childhood into adolescence
         • Age plays a big factor - adolescents less effected by media
           • MARES --> weakest effect for adolescents, strongest effect for primary school children, preschool children intermediate
     • ACQUISITION OF PROSOCIAL BEHAVIOURS + NORMS
       • BANDURA - SOCIAL LEARNING THEORY = observe& inmate whats acceptable
   • RESEARCH STUDIES OF PROSOCIAL MEDIA - MARES
     • POSITIVE INTERACTIONS
       • friendly interactions, peaceable conflict resolution
       • FREDRIC & STEIN = observers watched watched children at play, counting no. aggressive acts, friendly behaviours, expressions of affection. Those who watched prosocial programme- more friendly
     • BETTER SELF-CONTROL
       • FRIEDRICH & STEIN = 4 year old children who watched 'Mister Rogers Neighbourhood' over 4 weeks - showed more task persistence/obedience
       • Task persistant, resistance to temptation
     • MORE ALTRUISTICALLY BEHAVED
       • SPRAFKIN ET AL = Those who watched the prosocial film 'Lassie' - more likely to help puppies in distress
       • sharing, offering help

2. MEDIA INFLUENCES ON ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOUR

   • 5 EXPLANANTIONS = HUESMANN & MASE (1996)
     • OBSERVATIONAL LEARNING
       • Children observe actions of models- may later imitate them. More likely to imitate if they identify with the model or perceive them as real
       • SOCIAL LEARNING THEORY - BANDURA
       • PHILIPS
         • natural experiment- looked at crime statistics. 10 days after a heavy weight boxing contest on Tv - rise in murders. No rise after Super Bowl
       • BANDURA (1963) = Artificial situation - little evidence of real world 'copy cat' violence
     • COGNITIVE PRIMING
       • Watching anti-social behaviour triggers aggressive thoughts and feelings
         • explains why children observe one kind of aggression but commit another kind
     • DESENSITISATION
       • more televised violence child watches = more acceptable it becomes for the child
       • more frequent viewings = less anxious about violence
       • Media violence represents violence as 'normal'
       • CUMBERBATCH (2001) Just because children may get used to screen violence doesn't mean they get used to real-life violence
     • LOWERED PSYCHOLOGICAL AROUSAL
       • GILES = stronger desensitisation effects for males
       • heavy tv watchers = lower arousal levels to scenes of violence
         • don't react normal way to violence - less inhibited in using it
       • BELSON= unpredictable link between violent TV and aggression
         • interviews 1500 adolescent boys -- watched least television when younger were least aggressive. Boys who watched most tv less aggressive than those who watched moderate amounts.
           • Un-generalisable sample --- demand characteristics 'interviews'
       • CHARLATAN ET AL - ST HELENA STUDY- no increase in aggression after a colony were introduced to TV for the first time. Equal split in positive/negative changes.
         • only 2 significant changes in antisocial behavioural scores - both were lower after the introduction of tv
     • JUSTIFICATION
       • Violent Tv might justify what is acceptable behaviours
       • unpunished tv violence decreases concerns about own behaviour
       • Negative effects of exposure to violent characters on TV supports justification model
     • GENDER BIAS IN RESERACH- BOYLE
       • primarily focused on acts f male-on-male physical violence- viewed in a lab. No focus on how on-screen violence affects viewers responses to the characters/situations depicted
       • unrepresentative sample - male students - and then made generalisations about all viewers
         • gender bias in these studies hidden behind gender-neutral terms - 'college students'
     • REDUCTIONIST CONCEPTS - forgets other factors affecting aggression - such as individual differences and environmental influences
     • ETHICAL concerns about exposing young people to violent media -- protection form harm
     • CULTURAL VARIATIONS - findings cannot be generalised to everybody -- collectivist cultures watch tv together and are more family based so this influences medias influence over their antisocial behaviour.