Representations of Nanotechnology in Norwegian Newspapers — Implications for Public Participation

Public participation is a prominent issue in the nanoethics literature. This paper analyses the emerging awareness of nanoscience and nanotechnology (nano S&;T) in the Norwegian public sphere, as evidenced by newspaper coverage. In particular, attention is on representations of nano S&;T and their relation to public participation. Three dominant representations are found; nano S&;T as positive, nano S&;T as important for the future and nano S&;T as under control. It is argued that the prominence of these representations is unfortunate because they can discourage public participation. The paper concludes by pointing to some broader questions about public participation as an instrument for governance of nano S&;T.     

A comparison of actual-ideal weight discrepancy, body appreciation, and media influence between street-dancers and non-dancers

Previous work on body image has tended to treat dancers as a relatively homogenous group, despite the existence of different dance styles and genres. In the current study, we examined body image among individuals involved in street-dancing (genres that typically evolved outside formal settings and are often improvisational in nature) and an age-matched comparison of non-dancers. A total of 83 street-dancers and 84 non-dancers completed scales measuring their actual-ideal weight discrepancy, body appreciation, sociocultural attitudes toward appearance, and demographics. Controlling for participant body mass index (BMI), results showed no significant between-group difference in actual-ideal weight discrepancy, although street-dancers had significantly higher body appreciation than non-dancers. In addition, media influences were implicated in body image concepts for both groups, although internalisation of athletic ideals was more important for street-dancers. These results are discussed in relation to the extant research on body image among dancers.     

Meta-analytic moderators of experimental exposure to media portrayals of women on female appearance satisfaction: Social comparisons as automatic processes

Experimental exposure to idealized media portrayals of women is thought to induce social comparisons in female viewers and thereby to be generally detrimental to female viewers’ satisfaction with their own appearance. Through meta-analysis, the present paper examines the impact of moderators of this effect, some identified and updated from a prior meta-analysis and some that have hitherto received little attention. Participants’ pre-existing appearance concerns and the processing instructions participants were given when exposed to media portrayals were found to significantly moderate effect sizes. With regard to processing instructions, a novel and counter-intuitive pattern was revealed; effect sizes were smallest when participants were instructed to focus on the appearance of women in media portrayals, and largest when participants processed the portrayals on a distracting, non-appearance dimension. These results are interpreted through a framework that suggests that social comparisons are automatic processes, the effects of which can be modified through conscious processing.     

Development of perceptual expertise in emotion recognition

How do children’s early social experiences influence their perception of emotion-specific information communicated by the face? To examine this question, we tested a group of abused children who had been exposed to extremely high levels of parental anger expression and physical threat. Children were presented with arrays of stimuli that depicted the unfolding of facial expressions, from neutrality to peak emotions. The abused children accurately recognized anger early in the formation of the facial expression, when few physiological cues were available. The speed of children’s recognition was associated with the degree of anger/hostility reported by the child’s parent. These data highlight the ways in which perceptual learning can shape the timing of emotion perception.     

Causal effects of violent sports video games on aggression: Is it competitiveness or violent content?

Three experiments examined the impact of excessive violence in sport video games on aggression-related variables. Participants played either a nonviolent simulation-based sports video game (baseball or football) or a matched excessively violent sports video game. Participants then completed measures assessing aggressive cognitions (Experiment 1), aggressive affect and attitudes towards violence in sports (Experiment 2), or aggressive behavior (Experiment 3). Playing an excessively violent sports video game increased aggressive affect, aggressive cognition, aggressive behavior, and attitudes towards violence in sports. Because all games were competitive, these findings indicate that violent content uniquely leads to increases in several aggression-related variables, as predicted by the General Aggression Model and related social-cognitive models.     

Effects of songs with prosocial lyrics on prosocial thoughts, affect, and behavior

Previous research has shown that exposure to violent media increased aggression-related affect and thoughts, physiological arousal, and aggressive behavior as well as decreased prosocial tendencies. The present research examined the hypothesis that exposure to prosocial media promotes prosocial outcomes. Three studies revealed that listening to songs with prosocial (relative to neutral) lyrics increased the accessibility of prosocial thoughts, led to more interpersonal empathy, and fostered helping behavior. These results provide first evidence for the predictive validity of the General Learning Model [Buckley, K. E., & Anderson, C. A. (2006). A theoretical model of the effects and consequences of playing video games. In P. Vorderer, & J. Bryant, (Eds.), Playing video games: Motives responses and consequences (pp. 363-378). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates] for the effects of media with prosocial content on prosocial thought, feeling, and behavior.     

Étude des victimes des attentats du 13 novembre 2015, pris en charge au centre du psychotrauma de l’institut de victimologie

The care of a victim is a multidisciplinary care. However, we have few data regarding the impact of these different supports on the terrorist attacks victims, especially in France. Thus, we’ve carried out a clinical survey in order to assess the psychopathological development among 27 patients regarding to their perception of the sociomedical, psychological, judicial and police support they got. An assessment has been made based on the sociodemographic and psychopathological data of the subjects we included. We made the assessments 3 and 12 months after the terrorist attack, regarding to depressive, traumatic, peritraumatic (dissociation and distress) symptoms, sleeping disorders and the perceived quality of social support. Otherwise, they answered a subjective inventory of the quality of the help, support and care they were offered after the attack. Those data confirmed that the traumatic, peritraumatic, depressive and sleeping disorders were severe after such a traumatic event. We stated the fact that the clinical development was partly positively correlated with the favourable perception of the different supports. The welcoming and support from the various actors in victimology are key features in lowering the avoidance and improving the perception of the social support, which we know are two essential criteria in the traumatism development. We propose lines of thoughts to find a proper grasp of those extreme situations, likely to affect any segment of the population.     

Partisan Provocation: The Role of Partisan News Use and Emotional Responses in Political Information Sharing in Social Media

Citizens increasingly rely on social media to consume and disseminate news and information about politics, but the factors that drive political information sharing on these sites are not well understood. This study focused on how online partisan news use influences political information sharing in part because of the distinct negative emotions it arouses in its audience. Using panel survey data collected during the 2012 U.S. presidential election, we found that use of proattitudinal partisan news online is associated with increased anger, but not anxiety, directed at the opposing party's presidential candidate and that anger subsequently facilitated information sharing about the election on social media. The results suggest partisan media may drive online information sharing by generating anger in its audience.     

Violent Movies and Severe Acts of Violence: Sensationalism Versus Science

Violent media has often been blamed for severe violent acts. Following recent findings that violence in movies has increased substantially over the last few decades, this research examined whether such increases were related to trends in severe acts of violence. Annual rates of movie violence and gun violence in movies were compared to homicide and aggravated assault rates between the years of 1960 and 2012. Time series analyses found that violent films were negatively, although nonsignificantly, related to homicides and aggravated assaults. These nonsignificant negative relations remained present even after controlling for various extraneous variables. Results suggest that caution is warranted when generalizing violent media research, conducted primarily in laboratories and via questionnaires, to societal trends in violent behavior.     

The effect of exposure to thin models and digital modification disclaimers on women's body satisfaction

This study tests the effectiveness of public health initiatives aimed at reducing the adverse effects of exposure to thin images in advertising on women's body satisfaction. Using an online experiment with 195 Israeli adult women, we test the effects of message factors that are expected to influence body satisfaction—the model's body size, and the presence and size of disclaimers. Compared with advertisements featuring a thin model, exposure to an average sized model was indirectly and positively associated with body size satisfaction, through the perception of the model's body size. However, exposure to disclaimers regarding digital modification of the model did not influence body satisfaction. Moreover, irrespective of whether they were exposed to a disclaimer or not, most participants who viewed ads featuring thin models thought that the image had been digitally modified. The results call for further research on the effectiveness of disclaimer labels for promoting body satisfaction.