Dorothy G. Singer

Developing Critical Viewing Skills and Media Literacy in Children

A theoretical discussion concerning the meaning of media literacy and the rationale for targeting such a topic to children is presented. Based on the research demonstrating negative effects of television viewing by children, the need for schools to teach critical thinking about popular media is then discussed. Goals of curricula in general are listed, followed by examples of specific projects developed by individuals and organizations in the United States and abroad. Some empirical studies evaluating media literacy curricula are then reviewed. Resources are listed in the appendix for the readers information.

Differential effects of television programming on preschoolers' cognition, imagination, and social play.

Three groups of preschoolers were exposed over two weeks to daily programs of Misterogers Neighborhood, Sesame Street, or a control series of nature and animal films. Specific hypotheses about the effects of program format upon recall of content and upon subsequent behavior were tested. The apparently more slow-paced format and other characteristics of Misterogers were found to yield positive changes, especially for less imaginative children, in imaginative play, affect, concentration, and social interaction.

Family mediation and children's cognition, aggression, and comprehension of television: A longitudinal study

A sample of 66 kindergartners and first graders was studied over a two-year period in order to determine the role of family communication patterns and parent mediation in relation to television comprehension, general world knowledge, reading recognition, discrimination of reality from fantasy, fear of victimization, motor restlessness, and aggression. Results indicated that a family communication pattern of discussion and explanation in Year 1 is positively related to several measures of childrens television comprehension and the ability to discriminate fantasy from reality in Year 2. When combined with power assertive methods of discipline, the discussion-explanation style is positively related to reading recognition, while discussion-explanation is negatively related to the childs hours of viewing, fear of victimization, and aggression in Year 2.

Gender Differences, Mediation, and Disciplinary Styles in Children's Responses to Television.

A sample of kindergarten and first-grade children was studied in a research center and at school to determine the extent to which family communication mediated their comprehension of television, as well as a series of cognitive skills necessary for such comprehension. Separate analyses were conducted for boys and girls, and results indicated that certain styles of family mediation facilitated comprehension more effectively for boys than for girls. Additionally, differential effects of two styles of discipline were found for each sex.

Television and the Developing Imagination of the Child

The paper examines whether television enriches a childs imagination, leads to distortions of reality, and whether adult mediation while a child views a program or immediately after can evoke constructive changes or stimulate make‐believe play.

IMAGINATIVE PLAY TRAINING AND PERCEPTUAL‐MOTOR INTERVENTIONS WITH EMOTIONALLY‐DISTURBED HOSPITALIZED CHILDREN

This study evaluates fantasy play training and perceptual-motor intervention methods which temporarily increased the imaginative behavior of severely emotionally-disturbed, hospitalized children. Increases in imaginative behavior were accompanied by positive changes in body image and by affective and social gains. Implications for further development and implementation of these methods are discussed.

SEX DIFFERENCES IN THE VOCABULARY OF COLLEGE STUDENTS

Abstract The present study replicated Jastrows 1891 experiment concerning differences between male and female vocabulary. Participants were 20 male and 20 female Caucasian middle‐class college students. They recorded up to 100 nouns in a 15‐minute period. Results indicate that women have increased their use of unusual words compared to women in 1891. Males used more scientific words and more body part words than females. In contrast to the previous study, there are no significant differences between the sexes in use of animal, nature, and food words. Females used more clothing words than males in this study, as in the previous study, and produced more different words than males. Vocabulary changes appear to reflect changes in the social structure of the society.

Professional paths over six decades researching and practicing play

Reflecting on more than a half century of research and clinical practice, we focus on one feature of the human condition, our ability to engage in mental imaginative representations. Our research deals with pretend play of children, and adult thought focusing on possible worlds, potential social interactions, stream of consciousness, and planful action sequences. We point to ways research on play, imagination, and self-systems, may be incorporated into clinical practice. Two cases representing how research affected treatment in a toilet phobic child, and treatment with an adult manifesting anxiety and depression are discussed. In both cases, we highlight how the use of imagination, in particular, affected the outcomes.