Biomaterial Database

Impact of television news exposure on children's perceptions of violence in Northern Ireland. 1990

E Cairns

Department of Psychology, University of Ulster, Coleraine, Northern Ireland.

The present study assessed the impact of television news exposure on Irish children's perceptions of the level of violence in their neighborhoods. Estimates from children (N = 570) of the local levels of violence in three areas (high-, low-, and no-violence) were subjected to a four-way analysis of variance (Area x Sex x Age x News Exposure) that showed a main effect for area and sex with respect to the high-violence area and boys. Two two-way interactions also reached statistical significance. The first suggested that the perception of lower levels of violence by girls was confined to the high- and low-violence areas. The second concerned the level of actual violence and the amount of reported news exposure. Only in the high-violence area were these two variables related: Accurate estimates of actual violence levels were associated with more frequent news exposure.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008297	Male		Males
D009660	Northern Ireland	The northern one-sixth of the island of Ireland - between the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea; northwest of France. The capital is Belfast.
D002648	Child	A person 6 to 12 years of age. An individual 2 to 5 years old is CHILD, PRESCHOOL.	Children
D003431	Cross-Cultural Comparison	Comparison of various psychological, sociological, or cultural factors in order to assess the similarities or diversities occurring in two or more different cultures or societies.	Transcultural Studies,Comparison, Cross-Cultural,Comparisons, Cross-Cultural,Cross Cultural Comparison,Cross-Cultural Comparisons,Studies, Transcultural,Study, Transcultural,Transcultural Study
D005260	Female		Females
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D012938	Social Perception	The perceiving of attributes, characteristics, and behaviors of one's associates or social groups.	Perception, Social,Perceptions, Social,Social Perceptions
D013690	Television	The transmission and reproduction of transient images of fixed or moving objects. An electronic system of transmitting such images together with sound over a wire or through space by apparatus that converts light and sound into electrical waves and reconverts them into visible light rays and audible sound. (From Webster, 3rd ed)	Televisions
D014754	Violence	Use of physical force causing or intent to cause harm, injury or abuse.	Assaultive Behavior,Atrocities,Behavior, Assaultive,Interpersonal Violence,Physical Assault,Physical Attacks,Structural Violence,Violent Crime,Assault, Physical,Attack, Physical,Attacks, Physical,Crime, Violent,Interpersonal Violences,Physical Assaults,Physical Attack,Violence, Interpersonal,Violence, Structural,Violent Crimes