Anthony Pratkanis And Aronson Pictures In Our Heads Summary

Mind in the Media Today many people are affected by what the media puts into their heads. Many others, including myself, judge the media as hearsay and propaganda. In the essay " Pictures in Our Heads" Anthony Pratkanis and Elliot Aronson, on page 157, ask the question "To what extent do we let our fictions guide our thoughts and actions?". In my opinion Pratkanis' and Aronson's question does not apply to me, but it does pertain to some others. Their supports should be backed by better studies, yet some of the supports seem to be quite accurate. "Pictures" is an essay on two men's view of how the media causes people to change their ways. Most of their supports are based on "so called" scientifical studies. These "studies", that can be performed by the average person, can very from one study to the next, which leaves a lot of room for error. Pratkanis and Aronson write in "Pictures", "Those who watch more than four hours a day over estimate the number of people employed as physician, lawyers,
and athletes." this is not true. I do not over estimate the number of people in any of these jobs, and I watch five hours or more of television each day. I know for a fact that the people who do these jobs are a minority compared to blue collared employees. Therefore, this study performed by Gerbener is an example of a faulty scientifical study. Even though television shows produce a loosely staged simulation of reality, some people still believe most of what they see on those shows. However, I know that every cop does not catch every criminal; also, I know that every surgery does not come out perfectly every time. That does not mean it can not happen? What if there is a television show that is actually about a real cop? I know of a highway patrol officer, named James Rhoten, who has caught and had prosecuted every lawbreaker he has pursued. Haney and Manzolati point out in "Pictures" that "crime shows dispense remarkably consistent images of both police and criminals". They hint at the fact that cops do not catch every criminal, but James does catch every criminal. They also state that people who watch a lot of television tend to share the belief that the cops always catch the right person. Which in turn might make them convict the wrong person when they serve on a jury, because they think that " the defendant must be guilty of something otherwise they wouldn't be brought to trial" ( Pratkanis and Aronson, 159 ). This statement can not be true or else everyone who is called to court would be found guilty, and I know that this does not happen. This in turn shows that Haney's and Manzolati's theory does not apply to everyone. The media is in the business of influencing what people think.
They may not be able to force people to think something, but they are surprisingly efficacious in persuading some people what to think about ( Pratkanis and Aronson, 162 ). When some people view certain things on the news or any where else they, consciously or subconsciously, think about it. Although it might be in their mind all day, what they see can not coerce but only influence their opinion on the subject to change. The media is almost able to "brainwash" people to believe what they say. If the nine o'clock news says that rap music has caused a child to turn in to a murderer, then some parents are not going to let their children listen to rap. In the following week if that same news station says that rap music is good, then those same parents might give their children permission to listen to rap again. While those parents went by the what they heard on the news, my parents never changed their
opinion. The media affects some people while never changing the thoughts or actions of others. For Pratkanis and Aronson to imply that all people are affected is erroneous. The essay would be much more accurate if they improve on their supports and studies.