June 1981 FANTASY LIFT and MEDIA USE PATTERNS of ADULTS and CHILDREN
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UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA FANTASY LIFE AND I'{EDIA USE PATTERNS OF ADULTS AND CHILDREN by ROBERT DOUGLAS MeILI^IMITH A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUÐIES IN PARTTAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY DEPART}IENT OF PSYCHOLOGY I^IINNIPEG, MANTTOBA June 1981 FANTASY LIFT AND MEDIA USE PATTERNS OF ADULTS AND CHILDREN BY ROBERT DOUGLAS McILI,JRAITH A thcsis sL¡bnlittcd to tllc lrlculty ol'Cìrtcluatc Stuclics ol the University oi N{anitoba in partial fulfillment of the requirenrents of the clegree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPFIY ot lgBl Pe rnrission has becn grantccl to the LIBIìAIìY OF THE UN¡VijR- SIT\' OF MANII'OtsA to lcnd or scll co¡rics of'this thesis, to tlte NATIONAL LltsRAfìY OF CANADA to niicrofilm this thesis aud to lcncl or sell copirìs of the filni, and UNiVHRSITY MICIìOFILMS to publisli an abstract of thjs thesis. The author reservcs othe r pLrblication rights, alld neither the thesis nor extensive cxtracts fronl it may be printed or otirer- rvise reproducecl r.vithoL¡t tlie author's written ¡rermissìon. l_ l_ TABLE OF CONTENTS Page INTRODUCTION 1 Defining Fantasy and Daydreaming 2 FanËasy and DevelopmenË Over the Lifespan ... 10 Childrenrs Fantasies and Daydreaming ... i0 Adolescent Fantasies and Daydreaming ... 2I Adult Fant.asies and Daydreaming 22 Sexual Fantasies ..... 26 Sex Differences in Fantasies and Daydreamíng 27 Fantasy and Health ... 31 Daydreaming, Fantasizing and Use of the Mass Media ... 33 Purposes of This Research 6L ADULT STUDY 64 Method 64 Results 79 Sex, Sex-Role and Fantasy Style B0 Fantasy Styles and Media Use Patterns 86 I^lithin-Medium Analyses 93 Post-Hoc Regression Analyses ... 103 Díscussion 125 Sex, Sex-Role and Fantasy SEyle I25 1l_ l_ TABLE OF CONTENTS (Continued) Fantasy Styles and Media Use Patterns t2B I^iíthin-Medíum Analyses 134 Post-Hoc Regressíon Analyses : t Correlates of Men s and Inlomen I s Use of Each Content Type in Each Medium r37 CHILD STUÐY PILOT STUDIES 150 PÍlot One . 150 Method 151 Results and Díscussion 752 Pilot Two r56 Method 757 Resul-ts and Discussion 160 CHILD STUDY I7I Method 77r Results 174 Discussion ... 179 FOR FURTHER RESEARCH . " L87 Reference Notes i89 REFERENCES ... 190 APPENDICES I. Media Use Check LÍst, Adult Study 210 II. Raters' Manual for ConÈent Analysis 233 1V TABLE 0F CONTENTS (Continued) III" Reported Use Frequenci-es of Unfound Media Use Check Lisr Items--Adult Study 240 IV. Fu11y-Coded Media Use Check List Key .... 24L V. Adult Study Means and Standard DeviaËions For All Measures 263 VI. Simple Correlations of Predictors itlith Television, Radio & Prínt Contents 266 VII. Television Recognition Task Scoring Form--Pilot Two 273 VIII.Television Use Interview Form--Pilot Two 278 IX. ParenË-Completed Television Use Check List--Pi1ot TvTo 28I X. Reported Use Frequencies of Unfound Television Use Check List Items--Pilot Two 294 XI. Revised Televisíon Recognition Task Scoring Form--Child Study 295 XII. Child Study Means and Standard Deviations For All Measures 298 XIII.Simple Correlations of Predietors I^Iith TV Photograph Identifications-- Boys & Girls 299 LIST OF TABLES page 1. Four-QuadranÈ Classification of Theoretical_ Views of the RelatÍonship of Media Use to Fantasies and Fantasizing 34 2. Inter-rater Reliabilities (Cohenrs Kappa) For Categorizations of Television Contents 68 3. Inter-rater Reliabilities (Cohen,s Kappa) For Categorizations of Radio Contents .. " 69 4. Inter-rarer Reliabíliries (Cohen,s Kappa) For Categori_zations print of Contents ... 70 5. Two-I,Ieek Test-Retest Rel_iabilities of Medía Use Check List Content Categories 13 6. Canonical Discriminant Functions For Fantasy Measures of EÍght Sex_by_Sex_Role Groups g1 7 . Pooled I^/ithin-Groups Correlations BeiTn/een Canonical Discriminant Functions and Discrim_ inating Variabfes For Eight Sex_by_Sex_Ro1e Groups g2 B" Sex-by-Sex-Ro1e Group Centroids For The First Two Díscríminant Functions g3 9. Varimax-Rotated princÍpal Components of Variance For predictor Variabfes: Imaginal Processes Inventory and personal Attributes Questionnaíre öt v1 LIST OF TABLES (Continued) 10. Varimax-Rotated Príncipal Components of Variance For Criterion VaríabLes: 22 Tel-evísion, Radio and Print Categoríes ....... 90 i1. StrucËure Coefficients For the First Two Signíficant Canonical Correlatíons: Adult Fantasy Style and luledia Use Factors 92 L2. Structure Coefficients For the First Two Significant Canonícal Correlations: Televisíon Cont.ents, Imaginal Processes Inventory and Personal AtËributes Questionnaire 96 13. Structure Coefficients For the First Sig- nificant CanonÍcal Correlation: Radío Contents, Imaginal Processes InvenËory and Personal Attributes QuesÈíonnaíre 99 14. Structure Coefficíents For the First Sig- nificant Canonícal Correlation: Print Contents, Imaginal Processes and Personal AttribuËes QuestíonnaÍre . 101 15. Stepwise Multiple Regression of Fantasy and Sex-Ro1e Measures on Televisíon Interpersonal Information Viewíng For Males and Females 106 16. Stepwise Multíp1e Regression of Fantasy and Sex-Role Measures on Television Sports Viewing For Males and Females IO7 vl1 LIST OF TABLES (ContÍnued) 17. Stepwise Multiple Regressíon of Fantasy and Sex-Role Measures on Television Sexual- Romantic Viewing For Males and Females 108 18" Stepwíse Multiple Regression of Fantasy and Sex-Role Measures on Televisíon Musical Viewing For Males and Females 109 19. Stepwise I'fulËíple Regression of Fantasy and Sex-RoIe Measures on Television Nonviolent Drama Vierving For Males and Females 110 20" Stepwise Multiple Regression of Fantasy and Sex-Role Measures on Televísion Violent Drama \¡iewÍng For Males and Females 111 21. Stepwise Multíple Regression of Fantasy and Sex-Role Measures on Television Humourous VÍerving For Males and Females l,I2 22. SËepwise Multiple Regression of Fantasy and Sex-Role Measures on Radio Interpersonal Information Listening For l"la1es and Females 113 23. Stepwíse Multiple Regression of Fantasy and Sex-Role Measures on Radio Impersonal Inforrn- atíon Listening For }la1es and Females Il4 VT11 LIST 0F TABLES'(Continued) 24. SËepwise Multiple Regression of FanËasy and Sex-Role l"leasures on Radio Sports Listening For Males and Females i15 25. Stepwise Multiple Regression of Fantasy and Sex-Role Measures on Radio Music Listening For Males and Females 116 26. SEepwise Multiple Regression of Fantasy and Sex-Role Measures on Radio ViolenË Drama Listening For Males and Females IL7 27. Stepwíse Multiple Regression of Fantasy and Sex-Role Measures on Radio Humourous Listening For Males and Females 118 28. Stepwise Multiple Regression of Fantasy and Sex-Role Measures on Prínt Interpersonal Information Reading For Males and Females 119 29. Stepwise Multiple RegressÍon of Fantasy and Sex-Role Measures on Print Impersonal Inform- ation Reading I20 30. SEepwise Multiple Regression of Fantasy and Sex-Role Measures on Print Sports Reading For Males and Females I2I 31. Stepwise Multiple Regression of Fantasy and Sex-Role Measures on Print Sexual-Romantíc Reading For Males and Females 722 ax LIST 0F TABLES (ContÍnued) 32. Stepwise Multiple Regression of Fantasy and Sex-Role Measures on PrinË Musícal Reading For Males and Females 123 33. Stepwise MulËiple Regression of Fantasy and Sex-Role Measures on PrinË Humourous Readíng For Males and Females 124 34. Comparison of One-Month Test-Retest ReliabilitÍes of the Imaginal Processes Inventory For Children: Indivídual and Group AdmínistraËíon I25 35. Correlations of Children's Television Recognitions l^iith Parentsr Reports i6t 36. One Month Test-Retest ReliabilÍties of Parent Television Use Check Líst Categories L67 37 " One Month Test-Retest Reliabilities of Children's Television Recognition Task Categories ".. 169 38. Breakdornm of the Child Study Sample By Schools and Researchers I73 39. Stepwise Multiple Rêgressíon Analysis of Children's Total Televísion RecognítÍon Scores 176 LIST OF TABLES (Continued) 40. Structure Coefficients For the First Two Sígnificant CanonÍcal Correlations: Children's Fantasy Style and Television Recognition Measures I78 LIST OT FIGURES l. The First Two DiscriminanË Functions For Fantasy Variables: Eight Sex-by-Sex-Role Groups 85 x1 ACKNOI^TLEDGMENTS Many persons have made important conËributions to this work. I particuLarly \,rant to thank Dr. John Schallow, my Advísor and friend, who patiently listened to a lot of preposterous ideas on the way to this one, at Ëimes when nothing would come. Thanks to the other members of my committ.ee: Dr. Ross Hartsough, who introduced me to media content analysís and understands the importance of círcuses; Dr. Neil Malamuth, rvho already has me thinking of where Ëhis research goes nexË; and Dr. Harry prosen, r,rho took rny first draft with hin all over Europe to read. Dr. Barry spinner has been an unfailing support and statistical consultanË for hours beyond counting. Thanks, Barry. r wish to thank my research assistants from various stages of this research: chris Echols, Francis B. Ravinsky, zíporah Malamuth, Rick Campbell, Val-erie Holms, Lorraine Guttormson, Barbara Guttormsone Jaye }files, Lynne l^Ieinfe1d, and Joe Rallo. A large number of parents, teachers, secretaríes, principals, and school board officials from my child studies also have my sin- cere gratitude. Thanks to the Social Sciences and Humaníties Research Council of Canada for theír financÍal support over four years. Thanks to the canadian and American Èelevísion neEworks that supplied me with photographs and program informatíon. x1l_ Most of all, I have relied on the constant