Related Experiment Videos
Mental illness in Disney animated films
1Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, Alberta. angewest@aol.com
Summary
Most Disney films use "mental illness" terms to denigrate characters, potentially teaching children harmful stereotypes. Further research is needed to confirm this link and its impact on attitudes.
Area of Science:
- Media Studies
- Child Psychology
- Sociolinguistics
Background:
- Animated films are a significant source of media for children.
- Popular media can shape children's understanding of social groups and concepts.
- Previous research has explored media portrayals of mental illness, but less focus has been on animated children's content.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the frequency and nature of verbal references to mental illness in Walt Disney Company animated films.
- To analyze how these references are used to characterize individuals within the films.
- To understand the potential impact on children's developing attitudes towards mental illness.
Main Methods:
- Content analysis of 34 Walt Disney Company animated feature films.
- Development of a systematic coding manual for identifying and categorizing mental illness references.
- Ensuring data accuracy and intercoder reliability.
Main Results:
- 85% of analyzed films contained verbal references to mental illness.
- An average of 4.6 such references occurred per film.
- These references were primarily used to stigmatize and marginalize characters, with 21% of main characters being labeled as mentally ill.
Conclusions:
- Disney films frequently use stigmatizing language related to mental illness.
- This exposure may lead children to develop prejudiced attitudes and distancing behaviors towards individuals with mental illness.
- Further studies are recommended to assess the direct impact of Disney film exposure on children's attitudes toward mental illness.