Film And TV Representations Of Addictive Behaviour

Question 1

Media portrayals of addictive behaviour

Answer 1

These can cause controversy because of claims that they glamorise addictive behaviour.
Gunasekera et al surveyed the top 200 grossing films showing that portrayals of drug taking in films were overwhelmingly positive and without negative consequences.
Social learning theory specifically learning through the observation of valued role models being rewarded for their addiction would provide an explanation for the influence of the media on addictive behaviour.

Question 2

A02 Distefan et al

Answer 2

Distefan et al found that the more likeable film actors and actresses who smoke are perceived to be positivity correlates with their adolescent fans decision to smoke. This shows the importance of social learning theory and the imitation of valued role models in the initiation of addictive behaviour.

Question 3

A02 Sargent and Hanewinkel

Answer 3

Sargent and Hanewinkel found that the more adolescents were exposed to movies with smoking the more likely they are to smoke. 4384 adolescents aged 11-15 years were surveyed twice a year apart. The researchers found that in those individuals who had not smoked when they were first surveyed exposure to smoking in the movies was a strong and significant predictor of whether they had begun to smoke when surveyed a year later.
HOWEVER questionnaire study so social desirability is an issue difficult to determine the extent to which they had been exposed to smoking in the movies. Not all young people who watched films with high levels of smoking became smokers so cannot at that media exposure caused addiction

Question 4

The role of media in changing addictive behaviour

Answer 4

Television and the Internet have been used to help people give up their addictive habits. Television in an ideal medium for getting across message about the dangers of alcohol drugs tobacco and gambling. Not only does it provide easy access to a large number of people but it also provides the capability to target campaigns at particular groups of people. For example the Talk to Frank website was publicised in programmes aimed at 15-18 year olds. On a larger scale between 1998 and 2004 the US government invested $1 billion in an anti drug media campaigns aimed at changing individual attitudes and social norms towards drug taking.

Question 5

A02 the role of the media in changing addictive behaviour > Bennett at al

Answer 5

Bennett et al researched the effectiveness of media campaigns and concluded that it had increased people’s awareness of alcohol related issues but had had little or no impact on their behaviour it consumption of alcohol.

Question 6

A02 the role of the media in changing addictive behaviour > Johnston et al

Answer 6

Johnston et al suggested that the US campaigns are related to an increase canna is use. The impression inadvertently given is that drug use is commonplace and people feel they are missing out by not partaking.
Measuring the effectiveness of media campaigns is difficult because other factors are involved that can affect people’s decisions to carry out or stop an addictive behaviour

Question 7

A02 the role of the media in changing addictive behaviour > National Cancer Institute

Answer 7

There is some evidence that anti tobacco campaigns that use negativity emotive advertising messages e.g media campaigns that graphically like smoking to serious health damage motivate adults to stop smoking and have also been associated with prevention of smoking uptake among young people