By Cristina G.
ScienceDaily (Aug. 30, 2010) — When given a choice, older people prefer to read negative news,rather than positive news, about young adults, a new study suggests. In fact, older readers who chose to read negative stories about young individuals actually get a small boost in their self-esteem, according to the results.
This article is about the study that Silva Knobloch-Westerwick a associate professor of communication at Ohio University and Matthias Hastall of Zeppelin University Friedrichshafen in Germany made to find out what does young and old people read at the news paper and magazine. So in other to do this 178 young adults (18 to 30 years old ) and 98 old adults (50-65 years old)were ask to do a test and in this test they got to choose what of the articles that they show them which of them attack more them attention.
After they finish their test, the young and old adults made like a quiz to measure their self-esteem. The result were, that the older adults group when the read articles about something negative that happen to a young people the old people self-esteem get a little bit higher and the young people prefer to read articles bout young people most of the time but it does not really change their self-esteem.
Silvia Knobloch-Westerwick said that his happen because "older people, on the other hand, have greater certainty regarding their identity. However, living in a youth-centered culture, they may appreciate a boost in self-esteem. That's why they prefer the negative stories about younger people, who are seen as having a higher status in our society". Thanks to this study now we know what do old people read on the news paper and magazines, they read about negative story about young people. The result of this study shows how "people's social identity helps shape what media messages we choose." and that age is just another factor of this social identity.
This article is interesting to me because it was like an answer to my question to my granddad. When he came last weekend to visit me he bought the new paper and he was reading it and then I ask him why is he always reading sad things like the accident of this family and this like that, and no things like science , technology or celebrities. I say " I am not interest in that kind of stuff", but I still did not getter. So I found this article and it was awesome, it kind of answer to my question in a scientific way. and this is also the way how it connect with my live, my curiosity of why my grandmother and grandfather act the way the act, like an answer of one of my questions.
Communicates scientific information effectively using scientific language correctly.
ResponderEliminarPresents most of the information appropriately using symbolic and/or visual representations according to the task.
Acknowledge sources of information appropriately.