the social learning theory - once the individual pays attention to a modelled behaviour, he must then retain the information (using cognitive processes to encode and organise the observed behaviour) then the properly retained information is reproduced. He must however, be motivated to perform that behaviour again.
priming - this concept suggests that televised aggression tends to give people ideas about acting aggressively. The priming stimulus on the news or in a movie prepares children to think about acting in an aggressive way.
cultivation hypothesis - those who watch the most television have a perception of reality that corresponds to what they see on television and not necessarily with the social reality
rewarding violence and seldom showin negative consequences.
portraying violence (often in cartoons) as funny.
portraying violence as pleasurable in the movies
portraying violence as justified
What are children watching on TV?
Boys
Girls
sports
soap operas
action shows
talk shows
news
news
cartoons
cartoons
Recommendations for parents
Watch television with the children and discuss the issues arising; help children to choose what they should watch.
Help very small children who cannot distinguish between reality and fiction, when they are watching cartoons and the characters are driven over and get up again, this presents to them a distorted reality.
Parents should be role models.
Limit television watching to one to two hours per day.
Never put a television in a child's bedroom, that is going to be detrimental to the child.
