With their gravity-defying leaps and heroic battles, weekly animated shows like 'MegaForce Rangers' have captivated young audiences. But a growing number of parents and primary school teachers are expressing concern, claiming the show is promoting dangerous behavior. Many complain that children are imitating the high-risk stunts performed by their favorite animated heroes, leading to a rise in playground injuries. Some schools have even banned roleplay games based on the show.
One mother expressed her anxiety after her five-year-old son attempted to jump from a high garden wall, yelling the main character's catchphrase: 'Fly high, save the day!'. Another parent reported her daughter attempting 'karate kicks' on her younger siblings, inspired by the show's martial arts scenes.
Developmental psychologist Dr. Helen Vance noted that children often struggle to separate fantasy violence from reality: "Young children's frontal lobes are still developing, limiting their impulse control and risk assessment. When they observe highly rewarding, powerful media role models being praised or succeeding in hazardous acts, they are highly prone to imitating those actions directly without considering the physical consequences."
Based on a contemporary psychological commentary on developmental risk-taking in early childhood.
Question:
Briefly outline one piece of psychological research and explain how it could relate to the issue of media-induced imitation identified in Source A.
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.