After reading chapter thirteen a few thoughts came to mind. The one that stuck out most in my head because im learning "social learning " in my psychology class was the whole idea that media can change, our behavior and or perception of ideas, people, places, and ect.
It stated in the book about that one experiment that these people did were that they took several children, put them in different rooms and had them watch a film. All the films were of this child beating up a bo bo doll of some sort. Each film had a different ending. One was the child getting a "spanking" at the end, the other got rewarded with candy, and the last one only showed the begining. ( Keep in mind that all of these kids were choosen at random no particilar reason for which ones went to wich film race, gender, was not a huge role in where they went in for the films). They than had the kids go into a room where that same bo bo doll was. The kids who watched the film that in the end they were rewarded, beat up the dolls, where the kids who saw the film that got a spanking didn't touch the doll unless they were already violent kids, and the kids without an punishment or reward ending did the same with the doll as it was shown in the film, beat it up.
In my question that i thought up of was Does the media effect out percetipions on other parts of the world? Example: Does the News, and more movies portray the south as a bunch of hillbillies, lunatics, man eating, KKK worshiping, illiterate human beings.
There has been man times in movies such as The Texas chain saw masacare, taking place in Texas, where they were portrayed as that. In the news when describing someone from the south they would emphisisze the fact that they were "uneducated" and what not.
Could the media be injecting fear to us in the north, and skewing our percetion of how it is down in the southern states excluding Florida. This goes into my Hypothesis. I think that the media is portraying the south in an inhumane way. The media wheather it is in films, the news, television shows it is setting our attitudes, and perceptons on certain places, people, and ect.
In my "method" for testing out this idea of mine, I would do the same as what was done in chapter thirteen to the children with the violence of the film they watched. I'd also do a experimental research.
I would have people in different rooms where a film was being watched. One film would be representing all hte negative sides of the south threw clips of the news, movies, and shows. To see if it would end up injecting fear, violence, or just a skewed percetion of the south
and than the second film would be of the south but injecting positive happy thoughts about it. Showing the southern hospitality, down to earth, intelligent people in it and parts of it.
Than I could either have them fill out a questionere about the south, and or have them go out down south or be presented with different "actors" who are of southern "looks" and see how they would interact with them. This would help me see if they interacted differently because of the film and if it had changed there percetion on it and what not.
The media i believe at an early age molds our percetion and views on thigns, since we aren't always able to go out in the "real world" to see and actually experience what is there. It its our other way of education source of thigns around the world. If it is misrepresented than forever will it be in our minds/ percetion of what was told to us if it is our only way of knowing how it really is.
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7 comments:
I definitely feel as though your method of testing southern stereotypes is one of the better ways of approaching the issue. I believe that the isolation of two groups and the showing of contradictory videos portraying both negative stereotypes to one group and positive stereotypes to the second could in fact slant some people’s opinions and views on southern individuals. For the most I believe that those that are watching the videos on southern stereotypes are more than likely going to walk out with the same opinions and views that they came in with. I truly believe that the young mind shaped more through the viewing of television than the adult mind because of the fact that younger children can’t completely distinguish the real world versus a bogus TV world. If I had to make one adjustment to this method I would probably use a younger and more random group of test subjects to see the effects that these stereotyped videos have on their perception of southern people.
I agree with both Jason and Ream on the subject of media influence. I find this happening to me every so often actually; when I really get into a tv show once I step back and take myself out of the situation it takes me a second to get out of the mind frame the show was setting. It's kind of disturbing to think about how an undeveloped and easily influenced mind such as that of a child might not be able to grasp the fact that a show is not real which might have lasting effects on them. Think about how a traumatic experience at a young age (such as a dog bite) can cause a lifetime of fear and then apply it to repeated exposure of a certain idea; I believe they're the same thing to a kid. Ream is right when she says that the best way to analyze the effects of a medium is to have 2 test groups and expose them to opposing situations. This would enable us to perhaps record the brain activity of the participants and ask questions both before and after the study to see what effect it might have.
I think that this is a great way to test your hypothesis because i do believe that the media skews our perceptions on things. Showing two different movies and then putting the people in different situations is a great idea, but i also think that you have to make sure they are not already biased about the topic you are showing them because that could mean the results are going to be biased. I definitely agree with Ream's idea because I am sure she would find results that would support her hypothesis and this could further help others to realize the seriousness of the situation of how media effects the lives and viewpoints of everyone who exposes themselves to it.
I definately agree with everybody above of me. I feel that the media has definately changed my mind on a lot of things. I herd about that test with the kids and made a lot of sense why a lot of these games, movies, and shows make kids violence. Like how some games you get points for head shots on another person, and some games where you take chain saws to other people and cut them in half, its cool and everything, but only in the fake imaginary world. And a lot of these kids today are bringing these harsh acts into the real world and expecting to receive points from it or something, the only points they are ranking up is jail time or death. I think we should do more of these tests and figure out the flaws on the media and use stronger restrictions on media and what our kids watch and do, and give them harsher penalties if they commit these acts
I agree with wha you wrote. I do believe that the media does shape our thoughts in many ways or at least attempts to. They will portray what they want, to make an ugly stereotype that many will believe which to me, is quite biased,d immature, and ignorant but hey, that is just my opinion.
It's funny, I had this conversation tonight in the car with a friend of mine. He was saying how Disney movies, shape little girls to believe that they need a man in their lives to be truly happy. Because in movies such as: The Little Mermaid, Cinderella, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Beauty and the Beast, and more I'm sure, all the princesses are happy when what; when they find prince charming.
He gave an example of two women he knows, whose mothers never let them watch those movies and they, grew up strong, independant, and respectfully. I threw in though the contrast, that I am quite similar, and love Disney movies still to this day!
So, can you really say everyone is the same and will be effected the same by the same viewings, interpretations, etc., no, of course not. But, I agree that in many, such instances are valid for research, interpretation, and hypothesis, that what is shown in media, will effect how many view certain people, locations, etc.
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