media influence-EVAL Flashcards
one STRENGTH of influence of media is that there is RESEARCH support to show that there may be a LINK between gender roles and stereotyped behaviour
e.g. in the notel study, gender stereotypes INCREASED in children in the town that had media introduced.
However a WEAKNESS is that this was a NATURAL experiment, the researcher was NOT manipulating the IV so we CANT infer causation and cant say that media HAS caused theese changes in gender roles.
one issue is that most of the studies suggest a CORRELATION/RELATIONSHIP between the media and gender roles
This is an issue as correlations CANT infer causation and so these studies can only show that there is a RELATIONSHIP between the media and gender. not that the media can CAUSE gender roles or development.
e.g. there may be a 3RD variable which LINKS these together.
one strength is that there are COUNTER-STEREOTYPES in the media
these may have a POSITIVE influence on gender roles and REDUCE the amount of gender stereotyping in society e.g. if we learn via media through VICARIOUS reinforcement.
PINGREE found that stereotyping was REDUCED when children were shown women in NON stereotypical roles, this shows that COUNTER stereotypes in the media may help to REDUCE stereotyping of gender roles in society.
HOWEVER, pre-adolescent boys became MORE stereotyped as they REBELLED which suggests that there may be INDIVIDUAL differences e.g. some people may be influence by media MORE than others.
