Graduation Year

2017

Document Type

Open Access Senior Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

Department

Psychology

Reader 1

Sheila Walker

Reader 2

Judith LeMaster

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Terms of Use for work posted in Scholarship@Claremont.

Rights Information

© 2016 Gitanjali Howard

Abstract

Inspired by the lack of minority female representation in the media, this study questions how 11-14 year old Latina adolescents from low SES backgrounds are influenced by protagonist race, gender, and genre in stories with respect to participant personal aspiration, gender atypical personal aspiration, self-esteem, and self-efficacy. Due to the particular lack of representation of non-whites and non-males in action/adventure stories, it is predicted in this intervention study completed each week over the course of 8 weeks, that Latina adolescents will experience the most positive increase in self-esteem, self-efficacy, and gender atypical personal aspiration when exposed to Latina female protagonists in action/adventure stories. They will also experience significant increases in the dependent variables from highest to lowest in the following conditions: Latina female biographies, Latino males in action/adventure, Latino male biographies, White females in Action/Adventure, and White female biographies. It is predicted that there will be a a decrease in self-esteem, self-efficacy, general aspiration, and gender-atypical personal aspiration for participants exposed to White male action/adventure stories, and to a lesser significant extent from the preceding condition, a decrease in self-esteem, self-efficacy, general aspiration, and gender-atypical personal aspiration for participants exposed to White male Biographies. This research is significant in understanding the influence of minority female representation in books, film, and the general media.

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