ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN PRIMETIME TELEVISION SHOWS AND VIEWERS’ MATHEMATICS KNOWLEDGE, SCIENCE KNOWLEDGE AND CONFIDENCE Jamie L. Krenn Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy under the Executive Committee of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY 2012 © 2012 Jamie L. Krenn All Rights Reserved ABSTRACT ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN PRIMETIME TELEVISION SHOWS AND VIEWERS’ MATHEMATICS KNOWLEDGE, SCIENCE KNOWLEDGE AND CONFIDENCE Jamie L. Krenn In recent years, a rise in science and mathematics content has been observed in adult television programs. The programs CSI and Numb3rs, for example, frequently contain specific references to various science and mathematics problems. It is possible that a viewer’s academic self- efficacy, defined as one’s belief in the capabilities to organize and execute actions in the effort of goal attainment, may be influenced by such content; as such, television programs have the potential to positively engage adults in academics while simultaneously providing entertainment. To investigate this possibility, avid viewers of programs involving science and math were instructed to complete a questionnaire rating their chemistry and mathematics self-efficacy. In addition, the questionnaire examined viewers’ understanding of specific science and mathematics topics before and after reading provided texts. Results showed a significant relationship between chemistry, but not mathematics self-efficacy and program preference. Gains in content knowledge were not observed in relation to program preference. Overall findings, however, indicate that adults may indeed engage with academic content in television programs. Such findings suggest that further research into academic self-efficacy and television content is warranted. TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES .................................................................................................... iii LIST OF FIGURES ................................................................................................... vi ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ....................................................................................... vii OVERVIEW OF THE DISSERTATION ................................................................. viii CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION ............................................................................. 1 CHAPTER II: LITERATURE REVIEW .................................................................. 8 Television ........................................................................................... 8 From Black and White to Convergence ................................. 8 Television as a Cognitive Workout ........................................ 9 Intricacy Influx & Outside the Box ....................................... 15 Digital Changes ......................................................... 16 Impact of Television on Adults.............................................. 20 Avid Fan: Defined.................................................................. 22 The Self & Cognition ......................................................................... 27 Social Cognitive Theory and Self-Efficacy ........................... 27 Chemistry and Mathematics Self-Efficacy ............................ 28 Knowledge Systems ............................................................... 32 Summary ............................................................................................ 36 CHAPTER III: EVIDENCE OF ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN AN AVID FAN’S COGNITION AND THEIR SELF-EFFICACY ........................................................ 38 Goals .................................................................................................. 38 Research Questions ............................................................................ 39 Method ............................................................................................... 40 Participants ......................................................................................... 42 Procedure ........................................................................................... 47 Materials ............................................................................................ 50 Study Sections ........................................................................ 50 Measures ............................................................................................ 51 Self-Concept .......................................................................... 51 Mathematics & Chemistry Self-Efficacy ............................... 52 Chemistry Self-Efficacy .................................. 52 Mathematics Self-Efficacy .............................. 54 Academic Text Reading Section ............................................ 54 Reliability of Elements, Purpose and Mechanisms Coding ........................................ 57 Television Assistance in Processing Text ....... 57 i CHAPTER IV: RESULTS ......................................................................................... 61 Self-Concept ...................................................................................... 61 Hypothesis 1........................................................................... 61 Mathematics & Chemistry Self-Efficacy ........................................... 64 Chemistry Self-Efficacy Subsections .................................... 64 Hypothesis 2............................................................... 64 Chemistry & Mathematics Self-Efficacy Measures .............. 69 Hypothesis 3............................................................... 69 Cognitive Processing of Academic Text............................................ 74 Hypothesis 4........................................................................... 74 Television Processing Assistance ...................................................... 76 Hypothesis 5........................................................................... 76 Second Law of Thermodynamics Processing & Television Assistance ............................................ 77 Ballistics Processing & Television Assistance .......... 78 CHAPTER V: DISCUSSION .................................................................................... 83 Self-Concept Discussion .................................................................... 83 Hypothesis 1........................................................................... 83 Mathematics & Chemistry Self-Efficacy Discussion ........................ 85 Hypothesis 2........................................................................... 85 Hypothesis 3........................................................................... 88 Cognitive Processing of Academic Text Readings Discussion ......... 92 Hypothesis 4........................................................................... 92 Hypothesis 5........................................................................... 95 Summary ............................................................................................ 96 Suggestions, Limitations & Future Directions................................... 99 REFERENCES ..........................................................................................................107 APPENDIX A: Dissertation Instrument ...................................................................117 APPENDIX B: Second Law of Thermodynamics & Ballistics: Elements Purposes and Mechanisms Target Lists ...........................................125 APPENDIX C: Non-Significant Results: Additional Data Tables ............................130 APPENDIX D: Breakdown of Any Other Television Program Group .....................149 ii LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Television Program Descriptions and References ........................................ 6 Table 2.1. Television Avid Fan Sample Demographics ..................................... 44 Table 2.2. Television Avid Fan Sample Demographics – Age by Group .......... 45 Table 2.3. Television Avid Fan Sample Demographics – Age Frequencies by Program .............................................................................................. 45 Table 2.4. Television Avid Fan Sample by Collection Locale ........................... 45 Table 2.5. Television Avid Fan Sample by Collection Locale Demographics Breakdown: Education ....................................................................... 46 Table 2.6. Television Avid Fan Sample by Collection Locale Demographics Breakdown: Gender ........................................................................... 46 Table 2.7. Television Avid Fan Sample by Collection Locale Demographics Breakdown: Occupation Descriptors ................................................. 47 Table 3. Chemistry Areas of Focus Item Identification for Dissertation Study .................................................................................................. 53 Table 4. Article Questions Description Scoring .............................................. 55 Table 5. Primetime Television Shows Affect Viewers’ Mathematics and Science Knowledge and Confidence Hypothesis Table .................... 60 Table 6a. Avid Television Fan Group and Overall Role Model or Aspirations to Be Similar for Specific Character(s) .............................................. 62 Table 6b. Avid Television Fan Group and Role Model or Aspirations to Be Similar for Specific Character(s) (New York Comic Con Sample) .. 62 Table 6c. Avid Television Fan Group and Role Model or Aspirations