Date on Senior Honors Thesis
12-2014
Document Type
Senior Honors Thesis
Department
Communication
Degree Program
College of Arts and Sciences
Author's Keywords
Animation disability; Mental illness; Physical disability; Children; Social cognitive; Theory; Stereotype
Abstract
The objective of this study was to evaluate the presence of mental and physical disability in children's animation, and to understand image of mental or physical disability the animation portrayed. Three animated movies and one 61 episode animated series were coded for verbal references to mental illness and physical disability. Visual images and thematic elements portraying disability were also examined. All of the animations contained verbal as well as visual references to disability. Verbal references appeared with an average of 13.2 references per hour of animation. The connotations of these references often went against negative stereotypes of disability. These findings have implications for the viewers of these animations in terms of possible learned attitudes and stereotypes toward disability that these references may facilitate over time.
Recommended Citation
Miller, Amy Sue Marie, "Portrayals of mental illness and physical disability in 21st century children's animation." (2014). College of Arts & Sciences Senior Honors Theses. Paper 40.
http://doi.org/10.18297/honors/40
