Armed Polite Society
Main Forums => The Roundtable => Topic started by: Perd Hapley on February 11, 2009, 05:48:01 PM
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This is NOT from Focus on the Family, this is from my state U newsletter.
http://www.umsl.edu/services/creative/pubs/messenger/090211.html
A new study of 500 literary scholars' reactions to British novels from the 19th century reveals that readers often relate with the good-natured protagonists and are thus encouraged to engage in similar ethical behavior in their own lives. "Hierarchy in the Library: Egalitarian Dynamics in Victorian Novels" was published in the December issue of Evolutionary Psychology and co-written by Joseph Carroll, Curators' Professor of English at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. "Literary meaning can be scientifically understood," he said. "(The study provides) empirical evidence that literary meaning is determinate, delimited in scope and consistent with the knowledge of evolutionary biology." Carroll is a leading authority on Darwinian literary theory, better known as "literary Darwinism."
I shall take this opportunity to register my utter shock. Does this mean that entertainment can influence people to do bad things, too? Surely, only a clueless fundie would conclude such a thing, not a "literary Darwinist."
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I'll take the opportunity to conclude for myself, that any stimuli assimilated, can influence one's thinking or behavioral decision.
The difference being, the human race has higher brain function, and thus the healthy mind is capable of overcoming influential urgings.
Now if someone would just demonstrate possession of a healthy mind........................
But we have to be careful to distinguish attitude versus action. Actions in media (book, movies, etc) are easy to overcome with higher brain function. But attitude in media is much more readily adopted. In this way, context is all important.
Watching/reading war doesn't tempt me to go fight and kill.
Watching/reading bad attitudes will affect me.
Watching/reading good attitudes will affect me.
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This is NOT from Focus on the Family, this is from my state U newsletter.
I shall take this opportunity to register my utter shock. Does this mean that entertainment can influence people to do bad things, too? Surely, only a clueless fundie would conclude such a thing, not a "literary Darwinist."
Yep. I read Correia's book and then threw my boss out a window. =D
Some whackos told me that I didn't eliminate a hord of evil blood sucking vampires, but rather a group of users that needed to have their password reset three times in one day. I fail to see the difference.
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Next you'll be telling me that having positive role models increases my chances of being a productive and well-adjusted member of society!
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Who decides what is 'well-adjusted' or 'productive'? What's a positive role model?
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Does this also work with comic books or just Victorian novels?
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Who decides what is 'well-adjusted' or 'productive'? What's a positive role model?
Well, you're right in that those terms aren't necessarily well-defined.
For a start, I'll say that "well-adjusted and productive" when describing a person= "positive" when describing a role model. I only used the former phrase because I didn't want to sound repetitive.
Then, I could start by saying that I mean non-criminal at the least, financially sound would perhaps be another "positive" step. I'm sure I could think of others--some surely would be arguable as to whether they are generally positives.
In the sense that society defines the law, I guess that means that society defines what is "positive" to some degree. Financial soundness seems to be less lauded by today's society, but I would lump it under behavior types I consider "positive."
However, the point I was trying to make was more that I'm not surprised that giving people experiences that show how what might be typified as "good" actions lead to "good" results makes them more likely to do "good" things. I expect that people's experiences affect their behavior. I would expect it to work with books, perhaps not as effectively as with people. It's good, in my opinion, that people reading about ethical behavior (whatever that amounts to) act more ethically.
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But morality is bad! We can't have good moral examples encouraging people to behave morally.
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Who decides what is 'well-adjusted' or 'productive'? What's a positive role model?
We all do.
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We all do.
You mean, individually? :)
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Oh good, a bunch of PhDs finally confirmed that advertising, propaganda, and other forms of literature influence people's actions.
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I mean we must all decide for ourselves. And we're all answerable for our decisions. Don't decide wrong.
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I mean we must all decide for ourselves. And we're all answerable for our decisions.
Unless we're socialists, of course.
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I shall take this opportunity to register my utter shock. Does this mean that entertainment can influence people to do bad things, too? Surely, only a clueless fundie would conclude such a thing, not a "literary Darwinist."
This whole thing has to false. I mean, just because companies will spend $10m for a 15 second super bowl spot, doesn't mean that they will influence people to buy their products, does it?
[/sarcasm]
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If this was a funded study, all of those 500 need to be chased and beaten soundly over the head with a copy of the Theory of Reasoned Action.
The theory of reasoned action (TRA), developed by Martin Fishbein and Icek Ajzen (1975, 1980), derived from previous research that started out as the theory of attitude, which led to the study of attitude and behavior. The theory was, “born largely out of frustration with traditional attitude-behavior research, much of which found weak correlations between attitude measures and performance of volitional behaviors” (Hale, Householder, & Greene, 2003, p. 259).
Those who wish to actually understand how marketing works have read and understand it. Most current MBAheads have not.
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I say we hang a copy of 10 good rules on the wall in school and count the seconds before someone mistakes it for the 10 commandments.
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The "revised" 10 commandments? (Northeastern and Western coast U.S. applied style)
I can almost hear them now...........
10. Thou shalt not ban pornography on the school's computer, but don't you dare allow the bible within the library.
Anyone have any suggestions for the other nine?
Those of us who live in NH, where there is a white-steeple church in every town visible among the trees, don't appreciate the entire northeast being generalized. Thanks.
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Coming from the grand master of hysteric, sweeping blanket statements the irony is delicious.
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Coming from the grand master of hysteric, sweeping blanket statements the irony is delicious.
Whatever.
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Ouch, cutting retort. Maybe you could take some of that indignation about being stereotyped and, you know, stop doing it to others?
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