TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2008//
TI  - Be Kind to Three-Legged Dogs: Children's Literal Interpretations of TV's Moral Lessons
JO  - Media psychology
A1  - Mares, Marie-Louise
A1  - Acosta, Emily   Elizabeth
SP  - 377
EP  - 399
VL  - 11
IS  - 3
N2  - Sixty-four kindergarteners watched a 10-minute television episode intended to promote inclusive attitudes toward people with disabilities. In the original version, a disabled character was initially feared then eventually accepted. In an edited version, the fear was removed. The majority of children in both conditions, misunderstood the intended moral lesson, and failed to generalize beyond the specifics of the plot. Among children who were randomly assigned to the original version, those who understood the characters' goals and emotions better were less likely to comprehend the intended message of tolerance; remembering the happy ending had no effect. Among those assigned to the fear-removed version, those who better understood the goals and the happy ending were more likely to comprehend the intended message. Sixty-four kindergarteners watched a 10-minute television episode intended to promote inclusive attitudes toward people with disabilities. In the original version, a disabled character was initially feared then eventually accepted. In an edited version, the fear was removed. The majority of children in both conditions, misunderstood the intended moral lesson, and failed to generalize beyond the specifics of the plot. Among children who were randomly assigned to the original version, those who understood the characters' goals and emotions better were less likely to comprehend the intended message of tolerance; remembering the happy ending had no effect. Among those assigned to the fear-removed version, those who better understood the goals and the happy ending were more likely to comprehend the intended message.<p /> 
LA  - 
SN  - 1521-3269
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15213260802204355
ID  - ref1
ER  -