Proactive vs. Reactive Media Mediation: Effects of Mediation’s Timing on Children’s Reactions to Cartoon Violence

• In Event: ICA Plenary Interactive Paper/Poster Session and Reception
  In Interactive Paper Session: Children, Adolescents, and the Media Interactive Poster Session

Abstract

An experiment with 144 children ages 5-7 and 10-12 revealed that children’s reactions to violent TV differed based on when they received negatively-valenced, evaluative mediation. Results also showed that the effect of mediation’s timing consistently depended on children’s age. Older children responded better than younger children to the mediation when it was delivered prior to their exposure to a violent TV program. On the other hand, only older children exhibited reactance when they received the mediation message after watching a violent TV program. The timing of active mediation may be, therefore, an important factor in interpreting research and in the design and implementation of mediation interventions.

Author

• Eric E Rasmussen, Texas Tech University