Rachel F. Rodgers (2017), is concerned with how media exposure on young girls has influenced self-concept, adoption of social stereotypes regarding body weight, as well as being associated with increased weight. The main aim of this study was to examine the role of TV/DVD viewing in developing positive stereotypes towards thinness, self-esteem and body mass index in young girls.
Method
Participants Observation
Participants were part of a larger sample of 165 girls and their primary guardians (mostly the mother, 98%). They were recruited into the Children’s Body Image Development Study in Melbourne, Australia, when the girls were 3 years old, by placing advertisements in childcare centers and playgroups. Participants completed assessments at baseline Time 1, Time 2 and Time 3. These were 3 years, 4 years and 5 years respectively. 143 girls of the original sample completed all time-point assessments, thus constituting their sample. Almost 96% of the children were born in Australia, with 2.0% born in the United Kingdom, and 2.0% in other countries. Postcode data indicated that of the initial sample, most families 58% lived in high socioeconomic areas, 32% lived in average areas, and 10% in disadvantaged areas. Most mothers were well-educated, and 75.9% possessed a university degree (Rachel et al., 2017).
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
Demographic data on child age, postcode of the child’s residence, and parents’ education levels were obtained from the primary caregiver (98% mothers) in a self-report questionnaire.
Media exposure, defined as TV and DVD viewing time, was assessed using four parental-report questions designed for the purpose of this study that evaluated the amount of time their
child spent viewing TV or DVDs on week days and weekends: “On a usual week day, how many hours does your child spend watching TV/DVDs”. “On a usual weekend, how many hours does your child spend watching TV/DVDs. For each question parents provided the relevant daily average number of hours ranging from 0 to 6 in 30 min increments. A composite total score was calculated by summing responses for week days multiplied by 5, and responses for weekends by two. Children’s positive stereotypes related to thinness, were assessed with a scale developed for use in this age group (Rachel et al., 2017). The thinner the children the higher self-esteem they had compared to those that were fat.
The method used in carrying out the survey was participant observation. This is where the researcher monitors the subject under survey and takes down notes on what he or she has observed. Advantages of participant observation are: allows the researcher to see through the eyes of the research group, seeing the same perspective as the group member. Second it doesn’t require a lot of resources as it only requires a person to use his eyes and record the action of the research group. Participant observation has also some disadvantages: one is that the presence of researcher may make the group reveal a lot less as they are aware of being studied, also there is no proof what the researcher has found out is true or not.
In conclusion, the information presented above can be useful to both teachers and doctors. Teachers will be able teach pupils on eating a balanced diet and not skipping meals to lose weight and discourage other children from bullying their fellow students this will result other students accepting who they are. Doctors will be able to understand how a child’s mind works, this will bring about mutual understanding between the two and in the end the child will open up (Rachel et al., 2017).
References
Rachel .F. R., Stephanie. R. D., Eleanor H. W., and Susan .J. P., (2017). Media Exposure in Very Young Girls: Prospective and Cross-Sectional Relationships with BMIz, Self-Esteem and Body Size Stereotypes
