From Stepmonsters to the Family’s Saving Grace: Viewer Perceptions of Stepfamilies, Stepfathers and Stepmothers in Media

Q1 Arts and Humanities

Media Watch Pub Date : 2022-07-27 DOI:10.1177/09760911221113444

Narissra Maria Punyanunt-Carter, Jenna R. LaFreniere, Mary S. Norman, S. Brammer, M. Colwell

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Abstract

Research has shown that media portrayals greatly influence viewers’ beliefs, but few have studied stepfamily portrayals or how viewer demographics might impact what they notice. In this exploratory sequential mixed methods research, undergraduates reported perceptions of media portrayals of stepmothers, stepfathers and stepfamilies in 107 narratives. Those categories created a way to quantitatively distinguish between perceptions based on viewer sex and family type in the second study with 341 college student participants. The first study revealed that perceptions of stepparent portrayals in media might often align with stereotypes (e.g., stepmonsters) while also highlighting a mix of negative and positive perceptions and narratives about the depicted normalcy of stepfamilies. Study Two identified that sex or family type might slightly influence what some notice in television portrayals. However, media often portrays unambiguous views of stepfamilies, and these portrayals are noticed and remembered by viewers with only a slight impact from demographic differences.

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从继母到家庭的救赎：观众对媒体中继母、继父和继母的看法

研究表明，媒体的描述在很大程度上影响了观众的信仰，但很少有人研究继父家庭的描述，也没有人研究观众的人口统计数据如何影响他们所注意到的。在这项探索性的顺序混合方法研究中，本科生报告了107种叙事中对媒体对继母、继父和继家的描述的看法。在第二项有341名大学生参与的研究中，这些类别创造了一种定量区分基于观众性别和家庭类型的感知的方法。第一项研究表明，媒体对继父母形象的看法往往与刻板印象一致（例如，继怪物），同时也强调了对所描绘的继家庭常态的负面和正面看法和叙事的混合。第二项研究发现，性别或家庭类型可能会对一些人在电视剧中注意到的内容产生轻微影响。然而，媒体经常描绘出对继家庭的明确看法，这些描绘被观众注意到并记住，而人口统计学差异的影响很小。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Media Watch Arts and Humanities-Literature and Literary Theory

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期刊介绍： Journal of Media Watch is a double blind peer-reviewed tri-annual journal published from India. It is the only journal in the discipline from Asia and India listed in many leading indexing platforms. The journal keeps high quality peer evaluation and academic standards in all levels of its publication. Journal of Media Watch reflects empirical and fundamental research, theoretical articulations, alternative critical thinking, diverse knowledge spectrum, cognizant technologies, scientific postulates, alternative social synergies, exploratory documentations, visual enquiries, narrative argumentations, innovative interventions, and minority inclusiveness in its content and selection. The journal aims at publishing and documenting research publication in the field of communication and media studies that covers a wide range of topics and sub-fields like print media, television, radio, film, public relations, advertising, journalism and social media and the cultural impact and activation of these media in the society. It aims at providing a platform for the scholars to present their research to an international academic community with wide access and reach. Published topics in Media Watch enjoy very high impact and major citation. The journal is supported by strong international editorial advisory support from leading academicians in the world.