The Effects of Exposure to Misinformation in Science TV on Children’s Science Knowledge

• In Event: Early Years, Early Media

Abstract

Misinformation pervades popular media. Although much research has documented the detrimental effects of exposure to media misinformation on adults, few studies have examined children’s responses. The current project examines the presence and effects of scientific misinformation in children’s television. A content analysis (Study 1) revealed that various forms of scientific misinformation are prevalent in children’s educational science TV. However, there was reason to believe that the most common types of misinformation identified might actually benefit children’s science knowledge. Integrating predictions afforded by Fisch’s Capacity Model and Conceptual Change theory, an experiment (Study 2) found that children learned more from exposure to science content depicted with anthropomorphic visuals, but that they struggled to learn from narratives that attempted to explicitly correct their existing misconceptions. These results illuminate age constraints to previous conclusions regarding the effects of exposure to misinformation in media.

Authors

• James Alex Bonus, Ohio State U

• Marie-Louise Mares, U of Wisconsin-Madison