Discuss research studies relating to media influence on proand anti social behaviour.

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Discuss research studies relating to media influence on pro and anti social behaviour.

There have been many studies of TV violence and aggression – partly due because of the increasing amount of violence being shown on TV, and partly because of the increasing importance of TV in our day to day living.

Media influence on pro-social behaviour.

Hearold (1986) found that despite the relatively few studies that have been carried out on the media’s pro-social influence compared to its antisocial influence, the influences observed have been larger and constant for both girls and boys. This is seen as being largely due to have an influence on viewers where antisocial messages are not. Research has shown that children imitate many figures of pro-social behaviour when exposed to models displaying these behaviors in the media.

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Research on pro-social influence has shown that television messages that contain only a pro-social message are generally effective in producing pro-social behaviour in viewers. However, research has often used brief segments of specially produced programmes, and so may be considered artificial and lack real life application. Research into the influences of pro-social behaviour has shown that pro-social messages that are presented alongside anti social messages need to be presented in clear contrast and for the majority of the programme. If this does not happen, children mat model antisocial behaviour as well. Some research studies e.g. Friedrich Cofer et al 1979, ...

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