With their heroic poses and high-energy battles, the popular action characters have become a massive hit among young children. However, a growing number of parents are raising concerns about the action cartoon "The Thunder Squad", claiming it promotes reckless behavior. Many report that their sons and daughters have begun imitating the physically aggressive and risky stunts seen on the screen. Some parents have even restricted viewing of the show due to injuries in the home. One father described his shock when his five-year-old son climbed onto a high kitchen counter and attempted a "fly-kick" onto the sofa, shouting "Thunder Blast!" after a character on the show. A mother also expressed concern: "My six-year-old girl is constantly trying to wrestle her younger brother, putting him in risky headlocks because she says she is 'clearing the villains' just like her favorite hero."
Developmental psychologist Dr. Charles Vance commented that there has been a "noticeable upsurge" in children engaging in "unregulated, high-risk physical imitation" straight after watching action-heavy media. He explained, "Children in early childhood struggle to separate media fantasy from real-life physical consequences, so when they observe dramatic stunts, they reproduce them directly without realizing the danger of injury."
Adapted from an article in Family Life and Media (May 2021).
Identify one psychological issue raised by the source above. Support your answer with evidence from the source.
152 exam-style questions on OCR A Level Psychology External influences on children's behaviour, covering Bandura et al. (1961): Transmission of aggression and Chaney et al. (2004): Funhaller study. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.