Television content related fears : preschoolers and their parents' perceptions

[摘要] The primary aim of the present study was to determine what the television content relatedfears of a sample of preschool children are and their parents' perceptions thereof. Thesecondary aim was to establish whether there are differences between the televisioncontent related fears with regard to the different age groups and gender groups used in thepresent study. The sample of 67 participants consisted of 11 four year olds, 29 five yearolds and 27 six year olds. Data were obtained by conducting child-friendly semi-structuredindividual interviews, using a questionnaire as guideline, with a sample of preschoolchildren. The parents or legal guardian of the participants completed similarquestionnaires, in which the perceptions of the parents about the television content relatedfears of their children were obtained. The questions focused on the programmes theparticipants preferred watching and the contents of the programmes that elicit fear in them.The sample size used in the study was small and the researcher was very careful not tomake generalisations regarding the findings. The results, presented in a descriptivemanner, nevertheless indicated that the participants were experiencing television contentrelated fears. Although the four-year-old group reported more age appropriate fears, itseemed that the older the participants are, the more television related their fears become.Boys in general reported more television related fears than the girls. Parents seem to beaware of the contents of the fears of their children. Limitations in the present study werementioned and recommendations for further studies regarding television content relatedchildhood fears were made.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University