Despite the occasional portrayal of "mad scientists" in superhero TV shows, a recent study out of The Ohio State University suggests that youngsters maintain a robust trust in scientists. The results, which turned up in the pages of the Journal of Media Psychology, indicate that children's opinion of scientists is hardly dented by villainous characters on the screen – especially if those characters aren't explicitly labeled as scientists.
In a statement obtained by Ohio State News, co-author Blue Lerner explains that superhero television's harmful effects appear "weak and limited in scope," providing some peace of mind for all involved. Even when characters are engaging in dastardly deeds, as long as they aren't tagged with the scientist label, children's trust doesn't waver. The young viewers need the negative actions to be framed as 'doing science' to link the harmful behavior with the profession.
Associate professor of communication at Ohio State, James Alex Bonus, shared insights from the study that involved 256 children, aged between 8 and 12 years, alongside their parents. Through an exploration of the kids' perspectives on whether scientists were "smart" or "dumb," and through measuring trust along the lines of expertise, integrity, and benevolence, the findings showed that the participants rated scientists as smart and attributed high marks to them, particularly in the area of expertise.
In the study, the children watched one of two segments from the animated Disney series "Marvel's Spiderman," featuring either a villainous or a heroic female scientist. Considering the typical image of scientists as male, Bonus explained that exposing children to female scientists might lead them to have stronger reactions, given that they don't possess entrenched attitudes about women in science.
Parents were also queried on the amount of superhero-themed television their offspring consumed. While those who were regular viewers did manifest slightly less belief in the benevolence of scientists, the effect noted was minor. As Bonus told Ohio State News, overall, children possess more trust in scientists than prior studies, which deployed a method of asking children to draw a scientist, have suggested. This research indicates that while stereotypes might influence children's imaginative drawings, their actual beliefs about scientists do not necessarily align with these caricatures.
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