Wk 4 - Media and Games

Question 1

Watching TV is linked to… (x6)

Answer 1

Obesity
Sleep disruption
Delayed language acquisition - impacts for TOM/imaginative and pretend play
Poor school performance
Aggression
Commercialisation of children

Question 2

American Academy of Pediatrics recommends children be exposed to how much TV?

Answer 2

None

Question 3

Screen attention time of infants… (x2)

Answer 3

Increases from 11% at 6mo, to 39% at 3 yo

12-15 mo spend 48-74% of time looking at shows intended for their age-group

Question 4

Barr and Hayne conducted to experiments to establish whether infants process information from screen…

Answer 4

12, 15, 18 mo learned puppet-imitation task when seen modelled in RL or TV, or without instruction - best performance after live actor
15 mo tasked with putting ball in jar, affixing handle to make rattle - can’t be done spontaneously, some learning from video, better live

Question 5

Social and observational learning theory holds that media…

Eg…

Answer 5

Can add to development if providing new info or stimulates learning
Eg observing adult doing something useful

Question 6

Cultivation theory holds that media…

Eg…

Answer 6

Content affect viewer’s beliefs about the world, consequently altering behaviour
Eg watching Blinky Bill could encourage prosocial behaviour

Question 7

Use and motivation theory holds that the impacts of media…

ie…

Answer 7

Depends on uses to which media are put, motivations (learning, entertainment) and individual abilities/dispositions of use
ie energetic/focussed characteristics of child affect media impact

Question 8

Displacement theory holds that media… (x2)

Answer 8

Displaces important development activities

More relevant to teens who replace e.g. school work, socialising

Question 9

Hofferth studied the effects of media by…

Finding that… (x2)

Answer 9

Parents and 6-12 yo kept diary of problem behaviours/achievements
More computer and TV = less sleep/reading (displacement), no effect for problem behaviours
For girls, computer use correlated with reading and problem-solving achievement

Question 10

DeLoace et al. looked at effectiveness of video learning in study involving…
Which found that… (x2)

Answer 10

Comparing effects of parental teaching, video with interaction, without, and control with no teaching
50% correct rate in parent condition, 38% with interaction, 30% in others
Parental interaction is key - more rewarding/engaging, modelling, situational learning = better recall

Question 11

Impacts of kids programs being surrounded by adverts for program related mercy… (x2)

Answer 11

Argument that young can’t tell ad from program - groomed for life of consumerism
Marketing to children is explicit brand-loyalty-building strategy

Question 12

Kids and marketing/consuming… (x3

Answer 12

During nursery school yrs, kids request average of 25 products a day, can recognise 200 logos by primary school
6-12 yo spend more time shopping than reading, attending youth groups, playing outdoors or conversing (displacement theory)
US children’s spending – 15 year mushroom to US$30 billion, plus influence another $600 billion worth of parental purchases

Question 13

Characteristics of product-based programs… (x5)

Answer 13

Few main characters
Few subplots
Gender stereotyped characters
Fast-paced
Heightened aggression/violence

Question 14

Impacts of product-based TV shows…

Answer 14

Combo of thematically related toys and TV show = inhibited creative imagination + stimulated imitative imagination

Question 15

Short-term effects of TV on aggression are due to… (x3)

Answer 15

Priming processes - seeing it brings violence to mind
Excitation processes - increased arousal makes inhibition of aggression more difficult
Immediate imitation of specific behaviours

Question 16

Long-term effects of TV on aggression are due to… (x3)

Answer 16

Schemas about a hostile world - the kinds of attributions made about another’s intent
Scripts for problem-solving focus on aggression - behaviour sequences become more accessible
Normative beliefs that aggression is acceptable - rules against which scripts are assessed before use

Question 17

Huesman’s longitudinal study of TV and aggression found that…

Answer 17

TV habits of first-graders predicted childhood aggression
More aggressive children watched more TV, preferred more violent shows, identified with violent characters, perceived TV violence as more life-like
15-yr follow-up found correlation of exposure to later aggression, and very serious acts e.g. spousal abuse, assault

Question 18

The majority of correlational studies of TV and aggression have found that…

Answer 18

Children who watch more media violence daily behave more aggressively daily

Question 19

The effects of gaming were explored in a study involving…

Which found that… (x2)

Answer 19

Giving playstation and 3 games to experimental condition consisting of 6-9 yo boys
4 months later tested more poorly on reading/writing (displacement)
Had worse learning/behaviour reports from teachers

Question 20

Barlett et al. examined impacts of ultra violence/blood in games in study involving…
Which found that… (x4)

Answer 20

Uni students played Mortal Combat with max, med,low, no blood
No differences in Trait Aggression
Increased State Hostility pre- to post- play for max/med blood conditions
Only max condition showed significant physiol arousal increase
Blood groups more likely to use weapons

Question 21

Similarity identification is…

Answer 21

When an observer identifies with a character due to sharing salient characteristics

Question 22

Wishful identification is…

Answer 22

An observers desire to emulate a fictional character either in general or specific terms
As role model for future actions/identity formation, or through imitation of particular behaviours/situations

Question 23

The role of wishful identification in aggression was demonstrated in a study involving…
Which found…

Answer 23

112 boys played game for 20 minutes, four conditions varying violence and fantasy/realism
Then able to blast losing competitor with potentially damaging noise levels
Highes aggression after playing violent game and identifying with character - especially in the realistic/violent condition

Question 24

Dehumanisation is…

Answer 24

A process whereby people disengage moral self-sanctions, relieving their guilt over aggressive actions

Question 25

Effects of VVG on dehumanisation were shown in a study involving…
Which found that…

Answer 25

Compared ingroup/outgroup behaviour following violent/neutral/prosocial game
Ingroup was equally liked/humanised after all games, but big outgroup drops after violent games
Because of tendency to dehumanise others, VVG increases potential to harm outgroup

Question 26

Why are debates around the impacts of media violence on aggression still not resolved? (x5)

Answer 26

Because not everybody is more violent after exposure, they don’t believe they can be
Imprecise consequences, eg Grand Theft Auto may = argument, not car theft
Media doesn’t report when aggressors aren’t gamers
Issues separating effects of games, and e.g. sports
Studies that show no effect don’t get published
Cultural bias - what about other than US uni students?