http://www.alphagalileo.org/ViewItem.aspx?ItemId=145059&CultureCode=en
WHAT?
Essentially, the study was on 41 preschoolers who watched a slow version and then a fast paced version of Postman Pat (a British children's show). They found that there was essentially no difference between the groups. I like that they watched the SAME show for both conditions. I hated that there are only 41 kids. That is pretty low to make this type of claim. Also, the study was just presented at a conference and has not actually been published so I don't have access to any of the stats.
I think this is an interesting example of what the media does with this type of study. Check out the title......okay, maybe it didn't in this particular study, but lots of studies have found the opposite. Also, Postman Pat is generally a VERY slow program - I wonder what the results would have been if they used something like the spiderman clip we saw in class?
I think how the media portrays studies like this one can be so misleading to parents! It's sad to think that parents who are trying to learn about media effects on their children could run into this study and think it's true. It just goes to show that we need to be smart consumers of all kinds of media, because some things that may seem legitimate might need some more digging into to find the real truth.
ReplyDeleteI had quite a few thoughts reading this:
ReplyDelete1. Really, a study of 41 holds validity?
2. Same show for each?
3. How does "Postman Pat" compare to other shows we discussed, e.g. Spiderman, Avengers, Power Rangers?
Anyway, I thought it sounded silly. I am curious now as to what the statistics show.. Thanks for sharing this, Dr. Coyne!
I still remember that cartoon when I was a kid - we get a ton of British and French programs in Canada, and I totally cannot image how the show would have been in fast pace. It's simply a strange piece of children's programming to do anything with, and it makes me agree with you, Dr. Coyne, that they should have used something like the Spider-man clip (wow, did that ever get me excited. I realized only then how many explosions were in that sequence, lol).
ReplyDeleteThis is an interesting study. I also agree that the amount of 41 kids isnt enough to hold a study and confirm the study. I liked what Ian said about using something like the spiderman clips and seeing the difference in the reaction after that clip. I want to know what the statistics show in the end. THanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteInteresting how the media can skew what studies actually show.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing!