1) The document summarizes a study that examined 6th graders' responses to a media literacy lesson about the effects and commercial motives behind media violence. 2) The study found that most participants did not think profit-making was a main reason for media violence and viewed it as inevitable for storytelling. 3) The study concluded the lesson failed to achieve its goal of fostering autonomous critical thinking in students, and more research is needed on how genre, personal experiences, and peers influence views of media responsibility.

1. Responses to Media Literacy Lessons on the Effects
of and Institutional Motives Behind Media Violence
Toby Zhu
9/12/2017
Sekarasih, L., Walsh K. R., & Scharrer, E. (2015). “Media violence is made to attract and entertain
people”: Responses to Media Literacy Lessons on the Effects of and Institutional Motives Behind
Media Violence. Journal of Media Literacy Education 6(3), 1 – 13.
JOU 5320 – Theory of Mass Communication
Abstract 2: Media Effects

2. Introduction
-Media violence has been a long-standing concern for both researchers and educators.
-Researchers and scholars discover that the portrayals of physical, verbal and relational
aggression can trigger aggressive cognitions, and ultimately lead to aggressive
behaviors.
-Schools develop media literacy lessons to educate students to guard against the media
violence influences. Nevertheless, providing a “text-centered” approach of media
literacy education tend to overlook the role of institutional producers of media messages.
-Larger social, political and economic power factors that contribute to the producing of
media messages should be brought into the discussion.

3. Literature Review
-How do sixth graders respond
to media literacy lesson
designed to, among other goals,
introduce the concepts of the
commercial interest that exists in
mainstream U. S. media
production, particularly
regarding the prevalence of
media violence?
Research Questions
Concepts of Production in Media Literacy
1. production as content creation where
students gain experience through practicing
technical knowledge and skills
2. production as understanding about media
institutions
3. production as youth digital participatory
culture
Critical Thinking in Media Literacy
Media literacy education should help foster
autonomy in critical thinking where students are
able to critically view and evaluate the media
messages even without the teacher’s presence.

4. Participants
Participants: The 65
students (ages 11-12)
from three six-grade
classes were chosen
from a local
elementary school
using a convenience
sampling method.
Materials and Design
A second lesson of a
five-session media
literacy program. The
lessons titled as 1)
Media ratings &
critical thinking; 2)
Media violence; 3)
Gender and the media;
4) Bullying in the
media; and 5) Poster
presentations.
Procedure
Students were given time
to screen view a video
clip captured from Tom
and Jerry, followed by a
discussion of the
definition of media
violence.
The students were also
given lectures on the
high-risk factors of media
violence followed by an
activity to identify such
factor in a video clip from
Shrek.
Then, the students were
exposed to the
explanations of (a)
learned aggression, (b)
desensitization, and (c)
mean world syndrome.
The students were also
given a homework
assignment
Results
Participants’ responses
indicate their
understanding of “why
media creators include
violence” as entertaining,
fitting and realistic.
Participants tend to give
a favorable response as
they evaluate media
violence.
Third-person perception:
Six participants claimed
that they media violence
have a negative influence
on other children but not
on them, saying they are
older enough not to be
affected by media
violence.
Conclusion
This study showed most of
the participants did not
think profit-making as one
of the reasons of media
violence.
Many of them think media
violence as inevitable to the
development of a
storytelling.
The data analysis showed
also the failure of the goal
of achieving autonomy
critical thinking.
Further studies needed on
the role of the genre of
media content, participants’
personal experience and
interpretation of media and
their peer’s expression of
social responsibility of
producing media.
Data Collection and Analysis
Data were collected from forty-seven
participants’ reflection journal where
they wrote their assignments. Data
were analyzed through coding, and
categorizing tentative themes, and by
constant comprising to arrive findings.