Contemporary Issues
Unit 8: Media & Behavior
We will begin on time.
Until then, enjoy chatting!
Chapter 8 Assignments
To receive full credit, complete all assignments by
Tuesday at 11:59 pm EST
• Reading: The information under the Unit 8 Reading Page
• Seminar: Attend the Unit 8 seminar or complete the option
2 assignment
• Discussion: Watch a TV show for 30 minutes and complete
the Television Questionnaire. Use this information to answer
the discussion questions. Respond to 2 other student posts.
Current Media
• Today, we are discussing different types of media
and their influences on behavior.
• What are some different types of Media?
• Average American spends about 5 hours a day
watching TV (Media Buyer Planner, 2009)
• What are some popular TV shows?
Observational Learning
(Schacter, Gilbert, & Wegner, 2009)
•
•
•
Learning by observing
models
Bobo Doll Study
Four steps in the modeling
process:
1. Attention
2. Retention
3. Reproduction
4. Motivation (Boeree,
2006)
4
Positive Aspects of Media
• Can anyone think of TV shows or other media that
teach positive behaviors?
• What are some prosocial behaviors children can
learn from watching TV or using other media?
• TV shows can teach children how to behave in positive
socially acceptable interactions (Santrock, 2001)
• Teach prosocial behavior by:
1. Modeling positive behavior
2. Developing and resolving conflict using prosocial behaviors
3. Showing differences in conflict resolution between prosocial and
antisocial behaviors (Yates, 1999)
• Learn internet skills
Negatives Aspects of Media
(Santrock, 2006; Unit 8 Readings)
•
What are some negative effects that can result
from watching television?
•
•
•
Children are taught that problems are resolved easily or
incorrectly
Reality shows display false sense of reality
Violence on TV can have the following effects:

Teach aggressive behaviors

Learn to use aggression to solve problems

Develop false beliefs

Leads to more swearing or negative behavior
Negatives Aspects of Media,
cont.
(Santrock, 2006; Unit 8 Readings)
•
Other negative effects of Media on
children’s behavior:
•
•
•
•
Computers and negative effects
Advertisements and negative effects
Video games
Other negative effects
Ways to Prevent Negative Effects of
Media Violence:
(Kail, 2006)
• Model positive behaviors
• Perform other activities
• Parental monitoring
• Explanation and discussion of TV shows
• Other ideas
References
Boeree, C. G. (2006). Albert Bandura, 1925-present. Retrieved July 5, 2009,
from http://webspace.ship.edu/cgboer/bandura.html.
Kail, R.V. (2001). Children and their development (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle
River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Media Buyer Planner (2009, February 24). Nielson: TV viewing hits all-time
high. Retrieved July 5, 2009, from
http://www.mediabuyerplanner.com/entry/32638/nielsen-tv-viewing-hits-alltime-high/
Santrock, J.W. (2001). Child development (9th ed.). Boston MA: McGraw Hill.
Schacter, D.L., Gilbert, D.T. & Wegner, D. M. (2009). Psychology. New York,
NY: Worth.
Unit 8 Readings (2009). Contemporary issues in psychology course. Retrieved
July 5, 2009, from http://www.kaplan.edu
Yates, B. L. (1999, March). Modeling strategies for prosocial television: A
review. Paper presented at the open paper competition, AEJMC Southeast
Colloquium. Retrieved July 5, 2009, from
http://www.westga.edu/~byates/prosocia.htm.