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Summary The role of the media in addiction wjec psychology a level unit 3
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Detailed revision notes for WJEC Psychology Unit 3. Media explanation of addiction including research references and evaluation points.
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Social Psychological ExplanationsThe Media
Social Learning Theory
- The media refers to any mass form of communication such as TV, movies, newspapers, the
internet and radio.
- Both fiction and non-fiction media can influence our attitudes and behaviour.
- Social learning theory can be easily applied to the role of the media:
People pay attention to what is presented to them in the media, and quite often this includes
drug and alcohol related behaviour.
This is retained, the individual remembers the behaviour and they may even learn how to
engage in it through individuals, such as characters in films taking heroin, showing the whole
process.
The individual needs to have the ability to reproduce the behaviour; drugs like cannabis and
MDMA are easily accessible for teenagers and young adults.
Motivation for carrying out the behaviour can be found in the media itself through vicarious
reinforcement, where role models have pleasurable experiences, and this may interact with
motivations the individual already has for engaging in addictive behaviours such as stress or
boredom.
- Sulkenen (2007): found that in 140 scenes from 47 films, alcohol, drugs, tobacco, gambling and
sex were represented. Many films about drugs presented scenes of drug competence and
enjoyment of the effects.
- ‘It’s the movies that have been running things in America ever since they were invented. They
show you what to do, how to do it, when to do it, how to feel about it, and how to look how you
feel about it’ -Warhol
Exposure to addictive behaviours in the Media
- Films/TV
- A number of studies have indicated that the portrayal of potentially addictive behaviours,
particularly smoking and alcohol use, is very common in films and television.
- Alcohol was seen 86% of popular UK films and 40% of TV Programmes.
- Stanton and Glantz et al. (2002): there was a decrease in the smoking incidents shown between
1950 and 1982, this then increased again up to 2002 to similar levels seen in 1950.
- The use of drugs in film dates back to the birth of cinema, and often coincides with what it popular
at the time, suggesting influence.
- For instance, silent era films favoured cocaine whereas those created in the 1960’s and 70’s
featured the use of Cannabis and LSD, often without any condemnation.
- Another key form of exposure is advertising; in the UK, the law is very strict on the advertising of
substances.
- Tobacco advertising is illegal, alcohol advertising is strictly regulated.
- With gambling, however, there is much less legislation.
- Derevensky et al. (2010): teenagers who were already gambling were more likely to be influenced
by the advertisements, and that the adverts were seen as promoting gambling as glamorous and
social activity where winning is easy.
- The increase in gambling advertising is a relatively recent development, it may be some time
before the effects are fully seen.
- Music
- It is not only visual stimuli in the media which can reinforce positive attitudes towards drug abuse,
lyrics, and even just a particular style of music, can reinforce ideas about the culture and glamour
which surrounds substance use and related behaviours.
- In 2006, Amy Winehouse’s ‘Rehab’ won three Grammys, and her record label later said that the
media frenzy surrounding her battle with substance abuse, even when she was in treatment, helped
to maintain her high profile.
- Not only does the media influence drug use, but we give attention to those who may be at the root
of the glamorisation.
- In 2008 the director of the UN Office for Drugs and Crime issued an article in which he said the
drug habits of celebrities such as Winehouse set a bad example for those who were vulnerable to
addiction.
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