Yuki Fujioka

The Relationship of Family Communication Patterns to Parental Mediation Styles

A telephone survey of parents (n = 216) of third-, sixth-, and ninth-grade children examined the relationship between reported family communication patterns and parental mediation styles. Concept orientation predicted parental involvement in both positive (endorsements of TV messages) and negative (counter-reinforcement of TV messages) mediation as well as critical discussion of a variety of issues with a child. Socio orientation predicted positive mediation and was associated with coviewing, but it was not related to the parental practice of either negative mediation or critical discussion. The results suggest that parents with an open communication style are more likely to make use of discussion-based intervention strategies applied to television. A parents more control-oriented style translates into reinforcement of TV messages.

Native American Stereotypes, TV Portrayals, and Personal Contact.

This study tests hypotheses derived from extremity-complexity and stage theories of stereotyping which predict that frequency of contact with a minority group leads to knowledge which then leads to positive group evaluations. We also test hypotheses from learning theories of behavior which predict that evaluations of contact with minority groups determine group evaluations. The hypotheses are tested for direct personal contact and vicarious contact via television. We administered questionnaires to white college students to measure the contact variables and stereotypes of Native Americans. Results show strong support for the learning hypotheses, but not for extremity-complexity theories of stereotyping. Evaluations of first contact as pleasant or unpleasant, frequency of contact, and evaluations of TV portrayals as negative or positive predict stereotyping. Implications for stereotyping theories are discussed.

Black Media Images as a Perceived Threat to African American Ethnic Identity: Coping Responses, Perceived Public Perception, and Attitudes Towards Affirmative Action

A self-administered survey of 202 African American respondents examined the relationship among Black images in the media, perceived public perception of the in-group, and endorsement of affirmative action. Based on the literature on coping and group threats stemming from social identity, the study hypothesized that perceived negative Black images predicted coping responses among Black respondents. Negative evaluation of Black media images predicted perceived lower level of public perceptions of Blacks, which was in turn related to greater endorsement of affirmative action. The possible role of minority media portrayals in our racial environment was also discussed.

Television use, stereotypes of African Americans and opinions on affirmative action: An affective model of policy reasoning

This paper proposes and tests an affective model of policy reasoning with television use as a first stage variable in a heuristic causal chain. We predict that TV use leads to affect which then leads to opinions on related issues. We test the power of the model to explain how citizens make up their minds regarding government policies on affirmative action, with stereotypes of African Americans as the second stage, affective variable. Data from White college students indicate that there was good fit (non‐significant chi‐squares) for the model. The paths explaining the most variance were those from perceived negative TV attributes to stereotypes, and stereotypes to opinions. Perceptions of negative TV portrayals predicted negative stereotypes, which predicted opposition to affirmative action policies. Implications for media use and heuristic reasoning models are discussed.

The Role of Racial Identity in Responses to Thin Media Ideals: Differences Between White and Black College Women

A survey of 286 White and Black female college students examined the racial differences in perception of thin media images and its relation to personal importance of thinness and fear of fat. Consistent with the intergroup literature and social identity theory, this study demonstrated that Black women rated thin media images less desirable and endorsed thinness less strongly than their White counterparts. Perceived desirability of thin media images was related to greater personal endorsement of thinness among both White and Black women but related only to White womens, not to Black womens, fear of fat. Racial identity interacted with race in predicting personal endorsement of thinness, with the highest ratings among high White identifiers and the lowest ratings among high Black identifiers. It did not, however, interact with perceived desirability of thin media images in predicting fear of fat.

Emotional TV Viewing and Minority Audience How Mexican Americans Process and Evaluate TV News About In-Group Members

A total of 90 Mexican American and White American participants viewed 12 emotional television news stories, featuring Mexican Americans, that were positive or negative in valence and high or low in arousal. Participants completed a cued recall test and evaluated recalled news stories. Analyses revealed a strong main effect of arousal on participants’ attention and memory. Mexican American participants rated Mexican American news stories more favorably and as more arousing, recalled the news more, and evaluated recalled news more positively than did their White American counterparts. Consistent with the principles of self-schema and social identity theory, these findings demonstrate that people process and evaluate self-referencing information differently than they process nonself-referencing information. Theoretical and practical implications of these results are also discussed.

Why We Watch: Factors Affecting Exposure to Tragic Television News

This study explored the reasons people expose themselves to news depicting tragic events. A total of 376 undergraduates completed anonymous questionnaires about their responses to news coverage of the events of September 11. The study examined the extent to which individual differences in empathy gave rise to news viewing motives (surveillance, reassurance, curiosity), and how these variables, as well as negative emotional responses (anger, sadness, fear), were related to news interest and exposure. Both empathy and emotional responses were associated in predictable ways with interest in news coverage and selective exposure to specific types of news stories (e.g., casualty news, positive news). The results demonstrate that considering affective motivations can enrich our understanding of how and why people use news media. Limitations and suggestions for future research are discussed.

Influence of Television Use and Parental Communication on Educational Aspirations of Hispanic Children

This study provides evidence that frequent viewing of American television and positive parental communication lead to higher educational aspirations among Hispanic children. The influence of American television may be to provide a contextual foundation for learning (e.g., general familiarity with the predominant culture) in American schools that goes beyond the learning and adoption of Anglo-American values. Results of the study suggest that future research should focus on parental communication, television viewing, and educational aspirations among Hispanic children.

Exploring Gun Ownership as a Social Identity to Understanding the Perceived Media Influence of the Virginia Tech News Coverage on Attitudes toward Gun Control Policy

This study examines the perceived effects of the Virginia Tech shooting news coverage on self and others’ attitudes toward gun control policy and the moderating role of gun ownership. One hundred sixty-four respondents completed an online survey. Larger, third-person perceptions (TPPs) were reported for those who owned guns due to the reduction of the perceived effect on self. Exposure to gun-related news was associated with perceived effect on self, but only for non-gun owners. Results are discussed in light of TPP and intergroup research.

Perceived media influence, mental illness, and responses to news coverage of a mass shooting.

This study examined the perceived influence of news coverage of the Virginia Tech shootings on self and others’ attitudes about mental illness, and behavioral outcomes (including willingness to seek social connections and willingness to seek and disclose mental health treatment), as a function of personal experience with mental illness (none, family, self). We conducted an online survey of 198 adults within about 1 month of the event. Perceived negative influence of news on others’ attitudes, but not self, was higher for those who had greater experience with mental illness. Fear predicted perceived news influence on self (but not others), primarily for people who had no personal experience with mental illness. Further, for people without mental illness experience, perceived news influence on their own attitudes toward mental illness was associated with more engagement in support/comfort activities and greater likelihood of online opinion expression. In contrast, for people with mental illness, perceiving that others’ attitudes had become more negative was associated with less engagement in support/comfort activities. Finally, perceived news influence on self was related to less willingness to disclose mental health treatment. Implications of the findings are discussed from the perspective of the influence of presumed influence model and intergroup emotions theory.