Otori, H: Children and the Media

Few young people, particularly minorities, are
interested in pursuing careers in science. One
factor discouraging interest in science careers may
be the negative depiction of scientists in the media.
This book provides some insight into whether race,
gender, and valence influence the inferences people
make about public opinion in terms of careers in
science. This book examined whether middle school
students believed others would be influenced by a
negative portrayal of a scientist character in
movies. This is known as the third person
perception phenomenon (TPP), when messages influence
others more than the self. Results showed a third
person effect. But contrary to predictions, public
opinion perception did not have an influence on
participants thoughts about a career in science.
For Communication scholars and professionals or
people interested in the psychology of television,
the analysis enhances our understanding of TPP and
persuasive press inference in the context of
entertainment.