Mean Girls? The Influence of Gender Portrayals in Teen Movies on Emerging Adults' Gender-Based Attitudes and Beliefs

This two-part exploratory study utilized a social cognitive theory framework in documenting gender portrayals in teen movies and investigating the influence of exposure to these images on gender-based beliefs about friendships, social aggression, and roles of women in society. First, a content analysis of gender portrayals in teen movies was conducted, revealing that female characters are more likely to be portrayed as socially aggressive than male characters. Second, college students were surveyed about their teen movie-viewing habits, gender-related beliefs, and attitudes. Findings suggest that viewing teen movies is associated with negative stereotypes about female friendships and gender roles. </jats:p

Latino Representation on Primetime Television

This study analyzes the frequency and quality of depictions of Latinos during the 2002 primetime television season. Research on cultivation theory and social identity theory provides insight into the potential implications of exposure to these images. Findings suggest that while advances have been made in terms of the quality of depictions of Latinos, many of these images remain tied to a few, longstanding media stereotypes. In addition, the rate at which Latinos are portrayed on television remains dramatically below that of the real-world population. </jats:p