Sprafkin & Rubinstein (1979) carried out some research investigating media influence on pro-social behaviour. The following variables were measured:

• Amount of TV watched by a group of people

• The amount of prosocial and antisocial material contained in the programmes watched by the children.

• The prosocial behaviour shown by each child, based on ratings given by the children themselves and their teachers.

They found that there was a negative correlation between the amount of TV watched and prosocial behaviour. There was however a positive correlation between watching programmes with a high prosocial content and children’s pro-social behaviour. Therefore thi

The experimenter observed which children helped the experimenter when he dropped a pile of books. He found that children who watched the Walton’s were more likely to help. In conclusion this supports imitation theory and suggests that watching TV shows with prosocial content lead to prosocial behaviour in real life.

Baron (1979) also carried out some research investigating media influence on prosocial behaviour. Children were shown one of two programmes:

• Another programme with no prosocial content.

Some topics in this essay:
Amount TV, Liebert Baron, , Sprafkin Rubinstein, prosocial behaviour, prosocial content, pro-social behaviour, media influence, amount tv watched, found children, amount tv, ecological validity, tv watched, found children watched, investigating media, research investigating, carried research investigating, research investigating media, investigating media influence,