The Effects of Mediation Content and Form on Children's Responses to Violent Television

Abstract

This research explores the role of mediation content and its grammatical structure in children's responses to a violent television program. An experiment was conducted with 103 children ranging in age from 5-to 12-years-old. Mediation strategies that emphasized the program as either factually inaccurate or socially unrealistic were developed. This information was communicated to children either directly (in statement form) or by asking children to consider the program's reality status. The results revealed that the utility of various approaches to mediation depend on the age and viewing history of the child.

Children's Motivations for Video Game Play in the Context of Normal Development

“…Like other media, video games can promote harmful stereotypes (e.g., game characters identified as Arabic are often terrorists; many female characters have unrealistic body proportions). Research on efforts to mediate (and mitigate any harmful effects of) children's viewing of violent TV programs shows that as children approach adolescence, stating judgments about content (such as its factual reality or social appropriateness) can backfire and make violent content more appealing (Nathanson & Yang, 2003). Asking questions about the child's views to promote critical thinking (without requiring the child to answer out loud) was a more effective approach.…”

Windows of Opportunity: Family Systems Theory and Developmental Considerations for Supporting Youth, Parents and Clinicians in the Digital Age

“…Active mediation has been shown to be associated with the child's increased skepticism about TV content, reduced physical and relational aggression (through moderating against the influence of exposure to media upon positive attitudes toward aggression), as well as increased resistance to advertisements when compared with restrictive mediation and co-watching (Nathanson, & Yang, 2003;Ruh, Linder, & Werner, 2012). The use, however, of parental contracts/agreements may or may not be consistent with a family defined by an open system.…”

Mediers påverkan på förskolebarns hälsa och föräldrarnas roll vid denna påverkan

“…Lärorik medling (instructive mediation) (ibid.) även känd som restriktiv vägledning (restrictive guidance) eller aktiv medling (active mediation) (Nathanson et al, 2003) är när föräldern diskuterar TV:s innehåll i sådana termer som barnet förstår.…”