Module code: PYC4805
Assignment 3: The influence of television on children
Declaration of plagiarism
Plagiarism is the act of taking words, ideas and thoughts of others and passing them off as your own. It is a form
of theft which involves a number of dishonest academic activities. The Disciplinary Code for Students,
University’s Policy and the Copyright Infringement and Plagiarism Policy is provided to all students at registration.
I have read these documents and familiarized myself with the content.
1. I know that plagiarism is wrong. Plagiarism is using another person’s work and pretending that it is one’s own
work.
2. This assignment is my own work
3. I have not allowed, and will not allow, anyone to copy my work with the intention of passing it off as his or her
own work
4. I have used the American Psychological Association (APA) as the convention for citation and referencing.
Each significant contribution to, and quotation in, this assignment from the work, or works of other people has
been attributed and has been cited and referenced
5. I acknowledge that copying someone else's assignment or part thereof is wrong, and declare that this
assignment is my own work.
Contents
1. Introduction.......................................................................................................................................2
2. Young children and adolescents engaging in gender based stereo types..........................................2
3. Young children and adolescents displaying aggressive behaviours after watching television...........3
4. Young children and adolescents displaying prosocial behaviour.......................................................4
5. Conclusion.........................................................................................................................................5
6. Bibliography.......................................................................................................................................6
1
, 1. Introduction
Some researchers believe that young children and adolescents become more
aggressive and adopt gender stereo types when watching television while other
researchers argue for television being a helpful tool in teaching young children and
adolescents prosocial behaviour. This essay will attempt to change the mind of
readers who are for television being a learning tool in prosocial behaviour by looking
at the research done by many different academics arguing that television is not a
helpful tool in learning. It is of utmost importance to do and find many different
research articles on the topic as it involves the development of children which can
have lasting effects on them for the rest of their lives.
2. Young children and adolescents engaging in
gender based stereo types
A study has shown an inequality in the diversity of minority ethnic groups such as
African American, Hispanics and other. These minority groups would be represented
as lower status roles such as unskilled workers, domestic workers and lawbreakers
according to Laura E. Berk (cited in (Dixon & Azocar, 2006; Scharrer & Comstock,
2003). African American and Hispanic children tend to watch more television and
grow up in homes where the television is left on as cited in Rideout, Foehr, &
Roberts, 2010 in Laura E. Berk. In my opinion this will cause stereo type problems
because as previously discussed African American and Hispanic groups are mostly
portrayed in low status and lawbreaking roles. Now studies showed that it is the
same type of minority group of children that watch the most television this implies
that those children will see how they are portrayed on television and might not feel
that they are good enough to be better than an unskilled worker for example.
Children tend to believe and sometimes become what they see on television
especially at a young age (Calvert & Valkenburg, 2013).
Another problem that came to light was that of how women are portrayed on
television. Two decades ago women were not seen on television very often, that has
changed, women are now seen in career roles on television (Berk, 2013). Even
though women are now appearing more on television they are still being portrayed
as young, beautiful, emotional and sometimes victimized individuals as cited in
Collins, 2011; Signorielli, 2001. Women are sexualized on television by wearing
2
Assignment 3: The influence of television on children
Declaration of plagiarism
Plagiarism is the act of taking words, ideas and thoughts of others and passing them off as your own. It is a form
of theft which involves a number of dishonest academic activities. The Disciplinary Code for Students,
University’s Policy and the Copyright Infringement and Plagiarism Policy is provided to all students at registration.
I have read these documents and familiarized myself with the content.
1. I know that plagiarism is wrong. Plagiarism is using another person’s work and pretending that it is one’s own
work.
2. This assignment is my own work
3. I have not allowed, and will not allow, anyone to copy my work with the intention of passing it off as his or her
own work
4. I have used the American Psychological Association (APA) as the convention for citation and referencing.
Each significant contribution to, and quotation in, this assignment from the work, or works of other people has
been attributed and has been cited and referenced
5. I acknowledge that copying someone else's assignment or part thereof is wrong, and declare that this
assignment is my own work.
Contents
1. Introduction.......................................................................................................................................2
2. Young children and adolescents engaging in gender based stereo types..........................................2
3. Young children and adolescents displaying aggressive behaviours after watching television...........3
4. Young children and adolescents displaying prosocial behaviour.......................................................4
5. Conclusion.........................................................................................................................................5
6. Bibliography.......................................................................................................................................6
1
, 1. Introduction
Some researchers believe that young children and adolescents become more
aggressive and adopt gender stereo types when watching television while other
researchers argue for television being a helpful tool in teaching young children and
adolescents prosocial behaviour. This essay will attempt to change the mind of
readers who are for television being a learning tool in prosocial behaviour by looking
at the research done by many different academics arguing that television is not a
helpful tool in learning. It is of utmost importance to do and find many different
research articles on the topic as it involves the development of children which can
have lasting effects on them for the rest of their lives.
2. Young children and adolescents engaging in
gender based stereo types
A study has shown an inequality in the diversity of minority ethnic groups such as
African American, Hispanics and other. These minority groups would be represented
as lower status roles such as unskilled workers, domestic workers and lawbreakers
according to Laura E. Berk (cited in (Dixon & Azocar, 2006; Scharrer & Comstock,
2003). African American and Hispanic children tend to watch more television and
grow up in homes where the television is left on as cited in Rideout, Foehr, &
Roberts, 2010 in Laura E. Berk. In my opinion this will cause stereo type problems
because as previously discussed African American and Hispanic groups are mostly
portrayed in low status and lawbreaking roles. Now studies showed that it is the
same type of minority group of children that watch the most television this implies
that those children will see how they are portrayed on television and might not feel
that they are good enough to be better than an unskilled worker for example.
Children tend to believe and sometimes become what they see on television
especially at a young age (Calvert & Valkenburg, 2013).
Another problem that came to light was that of how women are portrayed on
television. Two decades ago women were not seen on television very often, that has
changed, women are now seen in career roles on television (Berk, 2013). Even
though women are now appearing more on television they are still being portrayed
as young, beautiful, emotional and sometimes victimized individuals as cited in
Collins, 2011; Signorielli, 2001. Women are sexualized on television by wearing
2
