Explanations of Media Influences on Pro-Social Behaviour

Question 1

Explain the social learning theory in terms of media

Answer 1

SLT - Bandura - suggests that as well as learning through direct experience (operant conditioning) children also learn through vicarious experience. This suggests we learn by observation and imitation of role models. SLT originally saw children as relatively passive observes and imitators of viewed behaviour. However, the theory was extended to recognise the importance of cognitive factors. For a child to imitate the behaviour they must:-
a) observe a media figure carry out the pro-social behaviour
b) be able to retain the pro-social behaviour in LTM
c) have the opportunity to reproduce the pro-social behaviour
d) have the motivation i.e. a reward to reproduce the pro-behaviour
SLT also includes reciprocal determinism and self efficacy. Reciprocal determinism suggssts a two way process. The environment shapes the behaviour while at the same time behaviour shapes the environment. In relation to the media this means we shape our environment by choosing what TV programmes to watch, and the programmes we watch in turn shape our behaviour. Self efficacy is the belief of an individual about whether they are capable of imitating the behaviour successfully. This is why pro-social behaviour may be shown in some situations but not in others. Children are selective about who they imitate. In this case models will be media characters. Models who are attractive, high status, nurturant and who are the same sex as the child are more likely to be imitated.

Question 2

Discuss research evidence to support SLT and pro-social behaviour

Answer 2

1) Sprafkin - Split a group of 6 year olds into three groups. One group was shown aan episode of lassie in which there was a scene of a puppy rescue, the second group watch an episode without a rescue scene, a third group watched an episode of the brady bunch. Afterwards, all the children played a prize-wining game during which they came into contact with a group of apparently distressed puppies. The children in the group which had watched the Lassie rescue spent an average of over 90 seconds helping the puppies compared with under 50 seconds by the other children, even though doing so would interfere with their winning. This study provides evidence that experiencing helpful media models can create a social norm, which encourages pro-social behaviour.
2) Baran et al - Studies older children between the age of 8 and 10. These children watched an episode of The Waltons, in which there was much emphasis on helping behaviour. they were then found to behave in a more helpful or pro-social way than children who had not seen the episode. Although the findings of both these studies support SLT it is not clear how far the effects would be shown in real life situations. Also, pro-social behaviour (e.g. empathy and moral reasoning) develop throughout childhood and into adolescence so they may be a difference in the way younger and older children are affected by pro-social examples in the media.

Question 3

Explain parental influence on pro-social behaviour

Answer 3

Parents can enhance the effect of the media by talking to a child about what they have seen. This helps a child store memories of positive acts which can be activated in real life when a similar situation occurs. The significance of parental mediation was recognised by the BBC with early TV programmes such as ‘Watch with Mother’. Effective mediation involves the parent discussing the programme with the child, explaining any ambiguous or disturbing material and following up the concepts presented in the programme. Parental mediation has been shown to enhance the learning effect of Sesame Street (Rice).

Question 4

Discuss support for parental influence on pro-social behaviour

Answer 4

Ossoff - asked children aged 4 to 10 years about the moral messages contained in an episode of mighty morphin power rangers. Whilst most of the children understood that there was a lesson to be learned from the programme, only the 8 to 10 year olds were able to identify it. Younger children tended to focus on the fighting more than the messages. This study illustrates the importance of parental influence when children watch TV especially if the children are young.

Fogel - showed 2 groups of 8-12 year olds in California an episode of ‘Hang Time’. The group who also had parental discussion of the programme behaved in a more pro-social way.

Question 5

Evaluate explanations of media influence on Pro-Social behaviour

Answer 5

1) Research evidence - outlined above, most of the research evidence supports SLT i.e. individuals imitate positive behaviour that they have observed in the media.
2) Methodological issues:
- Reliability: Different studies have focused on different kinds of pro-social television (e.g. rescuing a puppy from a mine shaft to children playing happily). Little is known about the extent to which the beneficial effects of pro-social television depend on the type of pro-social behaviour displayed of its intensity.
- Predictive Validity: Most of the research has focused on the short-term effects of watching pro-social television, but what matters most in real life is whether the beneficial effects are long-lasting. For example, the SLT is only effective in explaining the influence of pro-social television on behaviour if the effects are found to be long lasting. If they were not then this would suggest that there are others explanations for behaviour other than imitation.
- Internal Validity:
There is a lot of support for the SLT, however research suggests that we are most likely to imitate someone else’s behaviour if we understand why they are behaviour in a given way and SLT does not really explain this - therefore is it an entirely valid explanation?
Sampling bias: The research focuses on children in Western society
3) Practical applications:
There are real world applications of this research. While there is evidence that children do imitate pro-social behaviour, parental discussion of the message is important.