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JOURNAL OF MOVIES Published as a separate and in the Journal of Movies 1985,86 83-90
THE EFFECTS OF R-RATED MOVIES ON CHILDREN FOUR AND UNDER1 2 Lina K.Robenson,Charles W.Patterson and Stephanie L. Varberakis3 SUMMARY The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of children four and under watching rated R movies. 20 children were picked and ten were to watch a rated R movie and the other ten were to watch a child's movie. At the end of a 3 hour period.There was a significant change in the children's behavior.The children that watched the rated R movie were inappropriately touchy and violent in there playing. A. INTRODUCTION Children Whatever the age are influenced in some way through out there life.They are influenced by what they hear ,by what see ,and by what they watch.It is believed that what children watch such as movies can influence them in a positive or negative way .Empirical studies have substantiated these beliefs in part. Jones (1)found that after children watched a certain amount of inappropriate shows for there age level.The children started to mimic some of the things in the shows.Orlin(2) showed that children that watched the t.v. shows appropriate for there age group example sesame street. They played and acted there age. They even showed signs of learning things from the show.The children acted appropriately and were not influenced in a negative way.Robinson and Whitman(3) both found negative results when children watched t.v.that was not there age level and found that children were influenced by it. Not only movies but they were influenced by older siblings or parents. These studies suggest that by significantly children watching inappropriate things influences them in a negative way. The purpose of this study was to examine children's actions after watching something inappropriate for there age level.
Ss were 20 randomly picked children enrolled in Topsham Day care center Topsham,Maine 2.Measuring Instruments
3.PROCEDURE In 1985 we gathered up 20 randomly picked children who were 4 or under. They were assigned to two groups an experimental group and a control group.With parent approval 10 children 4 and under set in front of a television to watch a violent R rated movie. The other ten children were put in another room with another television set and to watch a Disney child's movie. At the end of a 4 hour period with the children watching 3 movies There was a significant change in the children's behavior. The children that watched the R rated movies showed more violent behavior and inappropriately touchy and violent in there playing The other ten children that were in the next room.Showed no sign of being effected by the movie in a negative way. There was no violent playing or inappropriate touching.They played games and acted how a young child should act.
After the 4 hour period of the children watching movies The result were that the children who watched the R rated movies were influenced in a negative way.The children that watched the child’s movies were not effected by the movies. Further studies could clarify more about how children can be influenced by movies or t.v.
1. Jones F. B. Child behavior.New York:Stewards Books,1985 1 Revived in editorial office on October 31 ,1985, published immediately at Portland, Origon. Copy write by the journal press. 2 This experiment was supported by the national movie advisors granted to Charles Patterson and Stephanie Varberakis by Harvard University. 3 request for reprints should be sent to the third author at the address shown at the end of this article. |