PSYCHOLOGY OF MEDIA AND CHILDREN

4-None

A survey of media psychological theories and research on media and children. The course adopts a developmental perspective, focusing on how children of different ages interpret and respond to media content. Major topic areas include the cognitive processing of media content, the effects of portrayals of violence and sex in media, the attraction and effects of video games, psychological impacts of social media use (including drug use and eating disorders), and media messages' broader emotional impact. Each of these topics is examined in terms of major issues, research findings, and theoretical explanations of the findings.