Barrie Gunter

This book examines the representation, impact, and issues relating to the control and regulation of sex in the media. It covers work that has been conducted around the world on the depiction of sex in the mainstream mass media, especially the audio-visual media of film, television, and video, and the alleged effects that such content may have upon media consumers. In addition to reviewing the research on the effects of media sex, the book also examines what is known about public opinion concerning sex in the media. A key theme running through the book is whether the evidence about media sex can be taken at face value. Are the methodologies used by researchers to investigate media sex problematic? Have they yielded data that can be questioned in terms of validity and reliability? Media Sex questions whether media sex poses a serious problem for most viewers of mainstream media. It acknowledges that there may be serious issues relating to the causation of public offense and the cultivation of anti-women attitudes and beliefs that need to be addressed in productions where more extreme forms of sexual conduct are combined with violent and sadistic behavior. With the unrelenting growth of media, media consumers demand and are given greater personal control over the reception of media content. The notion of freedom of speech conflicts with the view that media content needs to be centrally regulated and controlled. This conflict creates problems for regulatory organizations and the legislators in nation states in which freedom of the press is legally protected. The book examines the debate surrounding this conflict.

This book is about the identification, measurement and assessment of business potential among possible future or existing employees. It examines research on using biographical information about individuals to determine their potential in a specific organisational environment. Such biodata can be used by managers when recruiting new staff, and when selecting staff for promotion. This is a valuable source book for managers and students who need to gain a better understanding of the prediction of business performance at the level of the employee.

The book works from the outside of the home to the inside. It begins by examining what psychological factors are linked to choice of neighbourhood and what types of property are favoured by different types of people. It then moves inside the home to examine what we can learn about occupants from the allocation of space, the use of rooms and the way rooms are decorated and furnished.

In this book, Barrie Gunter provides a broad overview of the methodological perspectives adopted by media researchers in their attempt to derive a better understanding of the nature, role and impact of media in society. By tracing the epistemological and theoretical roots of the major methodological perspectives, Gunter identifies the various schools of social scientific research that have determined the major perspectives in the area. Drawing a distinction between quantitative and qualitative methods, he discusses the relative advantages and disadvantages of each approach, and examines recent trends that signal a convergence of approaches and their associated forms of research. The unique strength of this book is that it discusses the theoretical underpinnings of media research methodologies, and thereby presents a deeper discussion of methodologies than simply whether or not they offer techniques that generate reliable data.

In this book, Barrie Gunter provides a broad overview of the methodological perspectives adopted by media researchers in their attempt to derive a better understanding of the nature, role and impact of media in society. By tracing the epistemological and theoretical roots of the major methodological perspectives, Gunter identifies the various schools of social scientific research that have determined the major perspectives in the area. Drawing a distinction between quantitative and qualitative methods, he discusses the relative advantages and disadvantages of each approach, and examines recent trends that signal a convergence of approaches and their associated forms of research. The unique strength of this book is that it discusses the theoretical underpinnings of media research methodologies, and thereby presents a deeper discussion of methodologies than simply whether or not they offer techniques that generate reliable data.

In an examination of the relationship between pets and people, Barrie Gunter illustrates the many psychological benefits that animal companionship can bestow upon us; providing security for the anxious, companionship for the lonely and status symbols for the image conscious. This book examines the phenomenon of pet ownership and the importance placed upon this strange relationship by people in modern society.

In Understanding the Older Consumer, Barrie Gunter provides a detailed examination of the demographic, behavioural and psychological profiles of the older consumer. He shows that without the responsibilities of loans and child raising and with better financial provision than in previous years, the over-50s represent a powerful spending force. In order to reach this group, Barrie Gunter shows how to target advertising and respond to the changes that have occurred. Understanding the Older Consumer provides a wealth of information on older people's lifestyles and leisure, their interest in the mass media, their perceptions of advertising and their shopping.

The children's and teenagers' market has become increasingly significant as young people have become more affluent and have an ever growing disposable income. Children as Consumers traces the stages of consumer development through which children pass and examines the key sources of influence upon young people's consumer socialisation. It examines: * the kinds of things young people consume * how they use their money * how they respond to different types of advertising * whether they need to be protected through special legislation and regulation * market research techniques that work well with young people. Children as Consumers will be useful to students of psychology, sociology, business and media studies, as well as professionals in advertising and marketing.

Television is often accused of showing too much violence. However, it is rare that anyone stops to ask what this statement means. Violence on Television provides an objective analysis of the violence on television, how much there is and what form it takes. It presents findings from the largest ever sudy of the depiction of violence on television carried out in Britain, funded by the British Broadcasting Corporation and the Independent Television Commission. As well as presenting a quantitative analysis of the amount of violence on television, this research places great emphasis on investigating the character of violent portrayals and the contexts in which they occur. Barrie Gunter and Jackie Harrison present a detailed literature review, which examines previous research from around the world. They then explain the methodology and look at the problems of measuring and quantifying violence on television. They examine the specific attributes of violence, including the form it takes, its physical setting, its motives and consequences, and the nature of the characters involved as either aggressors or victims. They also examine the amount and nature of violent portrayals in different programme genres, such as films and drama, entertainment programming, news and factual programmes, and children's programmes. The book will be of interest to students and researchers in psychology, communication studies and media studies.

Does violence on TV lead to violent behaviour? How can parents influence children’s viewing? Fears over the effect of television on children have been around since it was invented. The recent explosion in the number of channels and new multimedia entertainment lends a new urgency to the discussion. This completely revised second edition of Children and Television brings the story of children and television right up to date. In addition to presenting the latest research on all of the themes covered in the first edition, it includes a discussion of the new entertainment media now available and a new chapter which examines the role of television in influencing children’s health related attitudes behaviour. Barrie Gunter and Jill McAleer examine the research evidence in to the effects of television on children and their responses to it. They conclude that children are sophisticated viewers and control television far more than it controls them.

This book addresses the subject of children and television -- how they view it, what they think of specific programs, and how these likes and dislikes affect learning of the content presented. Broad in coverage, it looks at evaluation, comprehension, and impact in the drama, information and entertainment domains. In all cases, demographic and background experiences and knowledge are assessed for their contribution to learning, attitude/opinion change, and stability as a function of exposure to particular program content. Empirical investigations of police dramas, science programs, and quiz shows are conducted utilizing experimental methods and involving approximately 1,000 children in a series of studies. Related to existing research literature, this work confirms the view of the child/adolescent as an active viewer who is critical, constructive, and capable of learning from the television medium -- even when the program is clearly broadcast as entertainment rather than as education or information. This volume is unique in that it addresses questions of the relation between children and diverse television content in terms of its impact on social and informational schemas.

Published in 1990, Poor Reception is a valuable contribution to the field of Communication Studies.