Kids, TV, and Role Models: What’s the Connection?

1. A Research Study based on Albert Bandura’s Social Learning Theory Kids, TV, and Role Models:What’s the Connection? By Mary Kate Urban and Liz Lowery

2. Albert Bandura • Born December 4, 1925 in Alberta, Canada • Psychology professor at Stanford since 1953 • Environmentalist • Children’s minds are structured by the models and social training practices provided by environment • Nature ---------------------------------------------Nurture • Major contribution to psychology: • Social Learning Theory • In social situations, people learn simply by observing others’ behavior. Bandura

3. Social Learning Theory • Observational learning is powerful! • No-trial learning : acquiring new behavior all at once, entirely through observation • Vicarious reinforcement : noting what happens when others try a new behavior, we formulate expectations about outcomes without our own direct action • Learning appears to be cognitive • Models : who we learn by • Many different kinds • Live • Symbolic (TV, books, verbal instruction)

4. 4 Components of Social Learning • 1. Attentional Processes • No imitation without attention • Models attract our attention by their appeal or by our needs / interests • 2. Retention Processes • To imitate a model after observation, we must remember them in symbolic form • 3. Motor Reproduction Processes • Accurate reproduction of behavior requires necessary motor skills • Comes with physical growth and practice • 4. Reinforcement and Motivational Processes • Difference between acquisition and performance • Performance is governed by reinforcement (direct or vicarious)

5. Our Research Study Framework • Bandura claims that “models often attract our attention because they are distinctive, or because they possess the trappings of success, prestige, power and other winsome qualities” (Crain, 199) • Televised modeling is “so effective in capturing attention that viewers learn much of what they see without requiring any special incentives to do so” (Bandura, 25) • In 1977, Bandura predicted that with the “increasing use of symbolic modeling, parents, teachers, and other traditional role models may occupy less prominent roles in social learning” (Bandura, 39) • There seems then to be a possible connection between how much television children are exposed to and who they identify with as their models

6. October 2009 Kids watch more than a day of TV each week. The latest figures from Nielsen have children's TV usage at an eight-year high. Children's health advocates warn of adverse effects. “The increase in consumption is in part the result of more programming targeted at kids…including video on demand, which is particularly popular among young children who like to watch their favorite shows over and over again.” “ ‘The biggest misconception is that it's harmless entertainment,’ said Strasburger, who has written extensively about the effects of media on children. ‘Media are one of the most powerful teachers of children that we know of.’ “

7. Our Investigation • In the advent of the twenty first century, when children are exposed to more and more hours of television every day, what models are they identifying with? • Is there an association between the amount of television watched by children and their choice of model to imitate?

8. Critical Questions • Who influences 8-10 year old children? Who are their role-models? • Is there an association between the amount of TV watched and influential models? • Is there a prevalence of television models chosen over parental/real life models? • What aspects of the model do children identify as influential?

9. Hypothesis • Children who watch a high amount of TV will choose media role models more often than those who watch a moderate or low amount of TV • Traditional models will be chosen less often due to the influx of attractive television models. • In light of Bandura’s statement about the allure of models based on their “power, prestige, etc” the children who choose television models are more likely to choose them due to their external rather than their internal qualities.

10. Testing the Subjects School: Lee Elementary, Irving Grade: 4th , GT Sample size: 15 students • Procedure: • Students with signed permission slips were allowed to participate • The tests were taken anonymously among the 15 students • Students took about 15 minutes to complete the questionnaires

11. Data Collection Instrument 2. Why did you choose this person? 3. How many TV shows do you watch? 4. Do you watch TV every day? 5. When do you watch TV? a. After school b. In the evenings c. Weekends d. All of the above 6. What show(s) do you watch every day? 7. What is your favorite show(s)? 8. Who is your favorite TV character? 1. Who do you want to be like? Circle one of the people below.

12. Rubric for Questions 3 - 8

13. Rubric for Question 2 • Internal Qualities • Personal accomplishment • Leadership • Happiness/fulfillment • External Qualities • Physical appearance • Wealth • Status

14. Summative Rubric

15. The Results

16. At a glance…

17. Who are the real life role models? 1/15 chose dad 2/15 chose teachers 1/15 chose mom 2/15 chose friends

18. Who are the media based role models? 4/15 chose Justin Bieber 5/15 chose evenly between Selena, Selena Gomez, Shakira, Michael Jackson, and Spongebob

19. TV Exposure & Model Choice

20. Model Choice for High TV

21. Of those who had HIGH TV exposure…. 70% chose a Media- Based model

22. Model Choice for Moderate – Low TV

23. Of those who had MODERATE – LOW TV exposure… 50% chose a Media-Based model 50% chose a Real-Life model

24. On What Basis? External vs. Internal

25. What they said… • EXTERNAL • Justin Bieber • “Because one day I wish to be a really famous person.” • Shakira • “Because she is famous, I like her song and I like her muves and some people sing her songs the most.” • Selena Gomez • “I choose this person because she kind of looks like me. She has some tv shows she is in. She is pritty.”

26. What they said… • INTERNAL • Justin Bieber • “Cause I think he doesn’t get into a lot of trouble and he is telling kids never say never cuase you can always do it and you wont sceed if you don’t try. I think he’s a good role model for me and for kids.” • Friend • “Cause she is nice, generous, and cool.” • Dad • “Because I was named after him, I look like him, and I like being like him.”

27. Our hypothesis …was correct! • Children who watch a high amount of TV chose media role models more often than those who watch a moderate or low amount of TV • Parental models were chosen less often • Children who chose television models chose them due to their external rather than internal qualities

28. Limitations • Limited amount of subjects • Accuracy of questionnaire • Accuracy of rubrics

29. If we did it again… • More subjects • Consider gender • Consider race • More carefully worded questionnaire • More carefully worded rubrics • Hourly TV exposure

30. Generated Questions • How would results from a faith-based school sample differ from a public school sample? What about homeschoolers? • Is there an association between ethnicity, role model choice, and TV exposure? • What is the association between the subject’s gender and the gender of his/her role model?

31. Conclusion: Bandura’s got the right idea! • TELEVISED MODELING IS POWERFUL! • 70% of our subjects chose media • Implications • Media especially have responsibility • Parents have responsibility • Parents should ask themselves, “What qualities do I want my children to imitate?”

32. Bibliography • Bandura, Albert. Social Learning Theory. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1977 • Crain, William. “Bandura’s Social Learning Theory.” Theories of Development. Upper Saddle River: Prentice, 2000. 193-212. • Gold, Matea. “Kids watch more than a day of TV each week.” Los Angeles Time Article Collections. Web. 18 February 2011. Los Angeles: Los Angeles Times, 2009.

33. Questions?