Category: Fear

Authors

The article under analysis is titled “Childbirth Fear, Anxiety, Fatigue, and Sleep Deprivation in Pregnant Women”. The research therein was compiled and analyzed by Wendy A. Hall a Ph.D. holder working as a professor at the University Of British Columbia School Of Nursing, Yvonne L. Hauck (Ph.D.) a professor at the University Of Western Australia, School of population health, Elaine M. Carty a retired professor from the University Of British Columbia School Of Nursing, Eileen K. Hutton an associate professor (Ph.D., RN) of obstetrics and gynecology at the McMaster University in Hamilton. She is also the assistant dean at the University. In addition to this, Jennifer Fenwick also an associate professor under the faculty of Nursing, Midwifery and Health at the University of Technology in Sidney Australia played an important role in the research accompanied by Kathrin Stoll a Ph.D. student at the University of British Columbia undertaking a course in interdisciplinary studies. It is through the teamwork and determination of the named scholars that this elaborate and informative study on “Childbirth Fear, Anxiety, Fatigue, and Sleep Deprivation in Pregnant Women” was compiled.

Abstract

The article begins with a brief but detailed abstract which summarizes the objective of the study which was “To explore women’s levels of childbirth fear, sleep deprivation, anxiety, and fatigue and their relationships during the third trimester of pregnancy,” the design used which in this case was a descriptive survey of a community sample, the selected participants amounting to 650 English-speaking pregnant women aged between 17 and 46 years at their third trimester with no pregnancy complication. The abstract also highlights the use of the “Wijma delivery, Speilberg state, Mindell’s sleep, and the Multidimensional Assessment of fatigue” questionnaires as the methods used to gather the required information and assessments. Additionally, it includes the report of the findings which indicates that 25% of the participants experienced childbirth fears, 20.6% reported having sleeping disorders. Also, there was a close correlation between anxiety, childbirth fears, sleep deprivation and fatigue. Conclusively it was discovered that women with less help, stressors and anxiety experienced childbirth fears and as such, “this aspect described women’s emotional experiences during pregnancy” (hall, Hauck & Carty, 2009).

Nature of the study

The study is qualitative by nature. Qualitative research seeks to gather data evolving around human behaviors. In addition to this, it aims at answering the question of why and not how aspects appear as they do. From this article, the authors have used a cross-sectional descriptive survey as the design, and questionnaires to gather the data as to why these anomalies affect the participants and pregnant women in general. The purpose of the study which was; “to examine relationships among women’s childbirth fear, sleep deprivation, fatigue, and state anxiety in a sample of 650 pregnant women in the province of British Columbia (BC)”, is clearly stated within the introductory part of the article. As such, the purpose of the study further validates the problem being researched which in this case was the general increase in women opting for caesarian births all over the world due to the above-named psychological factors as exhibited by the findings of the selected participants. The problem being studied has therefore been identified through the generalization of the issue (global) and then giving the specifics as to why the issue is present within the selected population with detailed references to the psychological factors that have contributed to its emergence.

Objectives and hypothesis

The main objective of this study was to “To explore women’s levels of childbirth fear, sleep deprivation, anxiety, and fatigue and their relationships during the third trimester of pregnancy,” and the hypotheses were numbered as follows: “Describe women’s levels of childbirth fear, describe women’s sleep deprivation, examine relationships among levels of childbirth fear and sleep, anxiety, fatigue, and contextual factors, with the goal of identifying predictors of childbirth fear; and examine similarities and deference in nulliparous and multiparous women in terms of childbirth fear, sleep deprivation, anxiety, and fatigue.” however, there were no research questions directly addressed.

Literature review

The literature review used in the study showcased a number of sources that specifically dwelt on the evaluation of the hypotheses all the while providing statistical data from different credible sources regarding the numerical extent to which the factors addressed affected the selected participants. Evidently, the literature review presented more statistical information on the study than the psychological aspects addressed therein. On the same note, the references used were very current dating from the year 2000 to 2009. Also, in the event that older references were used (before 2000), they were not included in the in-text citation but due credit was given on the reference page. To further show that the information used is current, the authors have used the APA style of referencing which demand the naming of the author as well as the year of publication of the article/book be shown where used in text and on the reference page, name of the author, title of the book/article, year of publication and the name of the publishers as well as their location.

Variables, design and framework

The variables (independent or dependent) examined in the study were clearly identified. They were analyzed according to their impacts on the issues as shown in the tables (pp.572-573). The study also had a general framework which as per the authors was to divide the research into phases. The first phase of the research aimed at “describing characteristics of 650 pregnant women, 35 to 39 weeks gestation, with respect to sleep, anxiety, fatigue, and childbirth fear. Through the hypothesis in this phase, the link between childbirth fears, and other factors such as personality traits and socio-demographic aspects were studied. This type of framework is common in the nursing arena whereby they have to identify the problems, categorize the variables and then solve each methodically in order to arrive at the final findings.

Sample population, selection criterion and ethical analysis

According to the authors, the sample population comprises 650 pregnant women in their third trimester with uncomplicated pregnancies who are nulliparous and multiparous and from the British Columbia province. For the participants to qualify for the study, they had to be in their third trimester of pregnancy, from the BC province, and have no pregnancy-related complications. In addition to this, “the study was reviewed and approved by the University of British Columbia review board as well as the BC Women and Children’s Hospital Ethics Committee”. Media was also used to further inform the public of the progress of the study. All these were done to ensure that the ethical requirements expected from such studies were adhered to.

The methodology used in data collection and analysis

The data in the study was collected using an array of questionnaires specifically designed by credible scholars to address the variables presented in this study. The authors adopted the “Statistical Package for the Social Sciences 16.0” to handle all statistical analyses. This involved the use of standard deviations, averages, means and medians, frequency distributions and categorizing the women as regarding the variables that affected them. From the analytic findings, it is evident that these psychological factors do indeed affect a large number of women not only in the province of BC but globally. As such, nurses are required to prepare themselves or rather update their knowledge on how to handle such situations as well as involve themselves more in the lives of these women in order to help them manage and alleviate their fears and anxiety as they approach childbirth.

Suggestions and recommendations

The authors of the article further state that the problem addressed are common globally. Consequently, they have put forward a suggestion that practitioners address these concerns and researchers devote themselves to studying this area extensively. The correlation between sleep deprivation, anxiety and childbirth fears should further be explored in order to provide a clearer understanding of how they affect the health of the unborn child as well as that of the prospective mothers. This is because most of the literature used seems to offer different findings on these variables. Other than that, the research question and hypothesis have been synchronized accordingly throughout the article and the data compiled have eloquently addressed the issues and at the same time validated the hypotheses brought forward. In addition to this, the authors have clearly and meticulously organized the study making it easy for others who would like to pursue similar studies to understand the methodologies and outline. Decisively, the research has been presented in such a way that it can be used as a guideline for further studies on the topic as well as a good example to use while replicating such a study.

Conclusion

Conclusively, the selection of this article was purely based on the fact that it is a perfect example of thoroughness in research, professionalism and upmost organization. The authors have gone to great extents to cover the entire necessary concepts regarding the topic by using credible references and up-to-date sources throughout their work. Additionally, they have critically analyzed the data collected and compared it with that of other similar studies in order to provide clarity. Through this article, I have learned how best to organize a research paper. This newfound knowledge will help me further critique other studies on the basis of prose, literature review, methodology, data analysis and design.

Reference

Hall, W. A., Hauck Y. L., & Carty E. M. (2009). Childbirth Fear, Anxiety, Fatigue, and Sleep Deprivation in Pregnant Women. Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic, & Neonatal Nursing. 38 (5), 567 – 576.

Introduction

Features of gagging:

• automatic reflex.
• the body’s natural defense mechanism.
• caused by physical threats and/or mental issues.

The main assumptions of the study are that gagging is:

• a connection between mental perception and body reaction.
• more likely in fearful children.
• predictable.

According to Katsouda et al. (2018), an unwanted intervention in the oral cavity causes gagging, since there is a connection between the gagging center and the cerebral cortex. Consequently, some children can react with gagging to a dental procedure if they have dental fear, and this process, in turn, causes anxiety. Moreover, this reflex prevents dental treatment physically, if a patient cannot spot gagging during the procedure, and mentally, when a child or an adult does not want to return the dentist’s office.

The aim of this study is to determine the relationship between:

• dental fear and children’s subjectivity assessment.
• dental fear and objective measurement of gagging.
• subjectivity assessment and objective measurement.

The purpose is to determinate:

• if gagging can be predicted.
• features for improvement of the pediatrics’ work.

The authors in this paper investigate the existence of a persistent connection between children’s fear of dental treatment and gagging. The scientists also try to identify the relationship between certain types of settings and the possibility of gagging. The results can be useful for dentists and pediatricians, since they might help to find new approaches to eliminating fear in children and safe dental procedures. Preventing measures in childhood could also help with decreasing the number of adults who experience dental anxiety and gagging.

Material

Sampling criteria

• Age between 4-12.
• Speak the Greek language.
• Visited a dentist during a school year.
• Did not require emergency care.
• Did not have physical or mental disabilities.

Final Sample – 734 children (385 boys and 349 girls) who have visited either a university paediatric dental clinic (UC) or at a private paediatric practice (PP).

For the research, the authors got access to two different dental sites in the city of Northern Greece. One of them has a higher price, but shorter waiting lists (PP), and another one has long waiting lists but lower prices (UC). Children who have mental or physical impairments, or emergency needs and do not speak Greek cannot participate in the study because their peculiarities can cause the misunderstanding or misinterpretation of results.

Methods

The main instrument for data collection – survey:

• The Gagging Assessment Scale.
• The Children’s Fear Survey Schedule‐Dental Subscale.
• The Gagging Problem Assessment‐dentist part.

The main instruments and methods for data analysis:

• SPSS version 21.
• Pearson’s chi-square.
• Spearman’s rho.
• Mann-Whitney U test.

The Gagging Assessment Scale (GAS) is a questionnaire in which children answered questions about their feelings during a regular dental procedure, for example, tooth brushing. The Children’s Fear Survey Schedule‐Dental Subscale (CFSS-DS) is the second type of questionnaire that measured children’s fear of procedures in the dental office. The Gagging Problem Assessment‐dentist part (GPA-de-f/SF) is the pediatric test during which the dentist examines the gagging reflex by touching six anatomical sites in a child’s mouth with a dental mirror. Standard instruments of statistical analysis were used to analyze data.

Results

Dentist objective measurement of gagging.

Total of 209 children (28,47%) gagged.

Among them:

• 30.13 % were sent to UC and 26,55% to PP.
• Boys – 34,03% and girls – 22,35%.
• Average age – 7.14 .

The average age of children who did not gag is 7.76.

During the test conducted by the dentist, about 30% of the children gagged. Children fell into this category if touching at least one of the tested places caused gagging. Almost all children have seen the dentist before (91,3%), and gagging is not related to the history of previous visits. The difference between those who experienced gagging in UC and PP clinics is insignificant. However, in general, a noticeably higher number of boys responded to the dental touch than girls. In addition, young children also showed a greater tendency to gag.

Number of younger children who gagged was significantly higher.

Most often children gagged because of the touching transition to the soft palate.

GAS and CFSS-DS

Total children who completed the survey: GAS – 93.19%, CFSS-DS –91,83%.

Mean age of children who completed survey: GAS – 7.74 years, CFSS-DS – 7.75 years.

Children who did not complete: GAS – 5.82 years, CFSS-DS – 6.00 years.

Among children who had visited the dentist before 97,52% completed GAS, and 95,35% finished CFSS-DS.

Among children who had not visited the dentist before 50,68% completed GAS, and 58,06% finished CFSS-DS .

Age and previous visits of the dentist were not related to GAS and CFSS-DS score.

Children who did not answer the GAS missed the question, “How do you feel when the dentist is working on your back teeth” (Katsouda et al. 2018, p.173). Children who did not finish CFSS-DS did not answer the question about drilling teeth. These problems are related to the fact that children have not previously visited the dentist or did not have such procedures. Among the children who completed both tests, boys more often identified themselves as gaggers, but girls showed a higher score in fear of dentists.

Total results

Children who were rated as gaggers had a higher score :

• in GAS (U=33629.000, P<0.001).
• dental fear (U=31955.500, P<0.001).
• fear of returning (U=46605.000, P<0.001).

There is also a correlation between GAS, CFSS-DS, and fear of returning.

Children who gagged because of the touch during the test with the dentist had a higher predisposition and dental fear for both sexes and all ages at UC and PP clinics. In addition, these children had a greater fear of a return to dental procedures. In this case, the fear of returning to the dentist did not depend on the gender of the child or the type of setting in which he or she was examined. However, children who self-identified themselves as gaggers were more afraid to come to the dentist.

Discussion

The main points of discussion:

• 30% of children gagged.
• Children from UC had a higher tendency to self-report.
• Boys self-report more often than girls.
• No self-reporting difference in the PP.
• Education of parents influences gagging.
• Socio-economic status of parents influences fear.

According to the study, UС parents had a higher level of education and socio-economic level than PP parents (Katsouda et al., 2018). Possibly, this fact was reflected in the choice of a clinic where the adults brought their children, since UC is cheaper than PP. In addition, the data indicate that dental fear in children who visited the UC is higher than in children who have been treated in PP. Consequently, there may be a link between parental income and education and gagging in children, although this assumption does not yet have precise confirmation.

The main points of discussion (cont.):

• Tendency of self-identification related to gagging.
• Score in the GAS related to fear of returning.
• Score in the GAS related to the CFSS-DS score.
• Boys have a higher tendency for gagging.
• Younger and fearful children gag more often.
• Gender predisposition is relevant only for children.

A child’s predisposition to gagging in routine dental procedures can indicate gagging during treatment, and children can self-identify it. The predisposition and fear of dental treatment are associated with the possibility of gagging and increase it, and the process itself grows the child’s fear of repeated procedures. In addition, boys and younger children are more prone to gagging, but this fact does not confirm the same tendency in adults, since reflexes can appear and disappear with age.

Conclusion

The main findings:

• Dental fear and gagging are connected.
• Gagging depends on gender and age.
• The patient’s dental fear influences gagging.
• Self-evaluation and real gagging related.

The results of the study showed that gagging could occur in 30% of children aged 4 to 12 years. Fear of visiting the dentist is one of the leading causes of gagging during examination and treatment, but the reasons for its occurrence have not been fully researched. Children who self-identify a predisposition to gagging are also more likely to demonstrate it during the dentist’s test. In addition, boys and younger children are more likely to experience gagging regardless of the setting. The limitations of the survey make it possible to expand research and continue to study the issue by including more variables in it and obtaining more accurate data.

Reference

Katsouda, M. et al. (2018) ‘Gagging prevalence and its association with dental fear in 4-12 year-old children in a dental setting’, International Journal of Paediatric Dentistry, 29(2), pp. 169–176.

Introduction

The fear of being alone is a psychological attitude that is very difficult to recognize. A person can suffer from it all their life but not even understand it. They explain the desire to constantly be in the company to themselves by character traits, for example, sociability. At the same time, they do not even suspect that, in fact, their life is controlled by an evil creature. Sometimes the fear of loneliness turns into a monster, becoming so strong that its destructive nature prevents a person from living a full life.

The monster blurs the line between the natural human unwillingness to become an outcast and a disease, subjugating all spheres of life, and gradually absorbing the thirst for life. Thus, my monster is the fear of being alone, and it is similar to several literary characters at once: Grendel’s mother, the Demon Lover, and the fear of a couple from Once Upon a Time.

Fighting My Monster

When the monster of the fear of loneliness appeared in my life, I tried to fight it, but sooner or later, my strength ran out, and I could not resist its attacks. Now it is smaller than before because I realized that I need to try to be friends with it. When I am overcome with anxiety, I do meditation, yoga, and breathing exercises. I try to feel my body, to be alone with myself, without being distracted by external stimuli, to feel what a blessing it is to be myself here and now. When I find the strength to approach the monster and look it straight in the eyes, it no longer seems so scary; this way, I manage to keep my monster at bay.

Comparison With Literature

Beowulf

My monster is more like Grendel’s mother than Grendel himself or the dragon. After a glorious and difficult victory over Grendel, Beowulf receives well-deserved praise, rich gifts, and gratitude from Hrothgar and all Danish warriors. Everyone sits down to feast and celebrate and does not expect the arrival of Grendel’s furious mother, who bursts into the hall and grabs Hrothgar’s closest friend and adviser (Mittman and Hensel 78). Being weaker and more cautious than her son, she immediately runs away to her swamp, dragging the victim with her.

My “Grendel,” whom I killed under the cheers of society, was self-love. Since childhood, I have heard that praising myself and rejoicing in my successes is bad and is called selfishness and arrogance. Therefore, I gradually began to think that I was worse than others. Because of this, I had a feeling that no one wanted me in their life, started to feel suspicion towards relatives, friends, and family, and the need for constant confirmation of feelings. And then, unexpectedly, like Grendel’s mother, the monster of loneliness appeared: after all, I killed my love for myself.

Once Upon a Time

My fear is more like the fear of a white married couple from “Once Upon a Time” than the fear from “The Thing in The Forest” since it is purely internal. The heroes are convinced that blacks are guilty of all the crimes taking place in their neighborhood (Rizzardi 792). They have a prejudice, which in this case is not supported by external facts; therefore, their fear is purely internal and irrational.

My fear of being left alone also has no external evidence. My parents were never cold to me: they always paid attention to me, kissed and hugged me, and paid a lot of attention to my feelings and desires. My friends also always say that I am a wonderful friend, that they appreciate me, and I am dear to them without any conditions. Nevertheless, it still seems to me that I can be left alone; in any criticism, I find confirmation of my words, even if the remark made was fair.

The Demon Lover

My monster is somewhat similar to the demon from “The Demon Lover”; first of all, he is a magical creature from the fantasy world, not belonging to the human world. In addition, at the end of the novel, Callie realizes that she needs a demon; she is drawn to darkness. The heroine falls in love with her demon, and this love turns out to be mutual (Fan 103). The demon himself tells her that a lie told out of love is a lie for good.

My monster is also an unreal creature: there are many people around me who love and appreciate me. My demon is necessary for me to love myself again; like Callie, I will be able to overcome it only when I become friends with it. Thus, despite the fact that my monster is lying to me, it is doing it for my own good so that I can treat myself better and accept myself.

Conclusion

The only one whom nature has endowed with a sensual form of life is the man. This is both a gift and a curse at the same time: human fears are a dark side of our sensuality. Referring to the works of British classics, a general list of human fears known today can be made. The monsters of each of the characters live not only on the pages of novels but in each of us, so everyone can turn to the heroes for help. Looking at them, the reader learns how to fight their demons, keep them at bay, or, in my case, become friends with them.

Works Cited

Fan, Mengyuan. “A Study on The Traumatic Theme in Elizabeth Bowen’s “The Demon Lover”. Journal of Contemporary Educational Research, vol. 5, no. 4, 2021, pp. 103-105.

Mittman, Asa Simon, and Marcus Hensel, editors. Primary Sources on Monsters. Amsterdam University Press, 2018.

Rizzardi, Biancamaria. “Once Upon a Time” By Nadine Gordimer: A Fairy Tale for Peace.” Forum Editrice Universitaria Udinese, vol. 5, no. 19, 2019, pp. 782-801. Web.

The work under analysis is the article under the title “An Archeology of Fear and Environmental Change in Philadelphia” by Alec Brownlow. The source may be considered to be reliable and the research is promising because of the professionalism of the author, who works as an assistant professor of Department of Geography, and whose expertise covers Human Geography, Urban Geography, Political Ecology, and Social Control.

The article “An Archeology of Fear and Environmental Change in Philadelphia” is the evidence of the similarity of the topical problems that are analyzed by the previous author, Carolyn Whitzman, though her study covered the territory of Canada, mainly High Park. Thus, the similarity of the problems proves their common nature and global importance. The coincidence of the keywords of both articles (Fear, Gender, Race) is the evident proof of the similarity of the issues analyzed with the only difference concerning the territorial location of the problem.

From the very beginning, it is necessary to delineate the scope of the information studied in the article by Alec Brownlow. The scientist performed a multidimensional research that covered the study of the mechanisms of social control and the way this control can be applied in order to ensure the relationship and connection between people and environment. The environmental changes that occur in the cities are also subject of the investigation of Brownlow. On the whole, the author is concerned with the poorly maintained park grounds that may be considered a decisive factor in the creation of residents’ sense of fear and disorder (Brownlow, 2006).

As for the structure of the paper, it has been clearly structured by the author with the main argument being disclosed through the article. The paper consists of the following sections: Introduction; Urban political ecology and the nature of public space; Methods; Cobbs Creek: The Community, The Park; Ecology of Fear; Race and the politics of park decline; The role of gangs; The final straw, Conclusion.

Alan Brownlow initiates the reader into on the nature of urban political ecology, specifying its main area of functioning as the study of interrelation of political, economical, social factors with the processes that go on in the environment of municipal areas. The nature of public space is analyzed from two perspectives: the ecological one and as social space.

The factual material of the case study offered by the scientist covers the information about the Fairmont Park System of Philadelphia (Brownlow, 2006, p. 231). The factual martial presented suggests the conclusion that the park was abandoned by the citizen on the ground that it was nothing more than a place where people suffered from feelings of anxiety and fear, where the role of gangs also played an important role (Brownlow, 2006, 240).

The scientists produce and prove the argument about fear and environment on the basis of the investigation of the impact of the decisions that had racial motivation and were made during the period of 1960s-1970s. The creation of anxious perception of natural environment as the source of possible violence, abuse, and crime by women (especially African American women) was the reason of their alienation from public space. Thus, Alec Brownlow asserts that, in the light of such context, ecological changes in the city should be treated as the subject of social control instead of pure environmental problems.

Reference

Brownlow, A. (2006). An Archeology of Fear and Environmental Change in Philadelphia. Geoforum, 37, 227-245.

The world is engulfed in fear. Fear is everywhere. The biggest question is whether it is the fact that there are criminals all around us, or it is in the head. Stats show that crime rates have significantly reduced. Therefore, it is expected that the element of fear should also reduce. But this is not the case. Who is spreading the propaganda of fear? Media plays the central part in this. These are some of the fundamental questions which go through my head when I think of the harm that media organizations are inflicting on people. What people should do is ignore this form of reporting. This will significantly reduce the impact that negative reporting has on them.

This is sometimes hard. In cases where information is unveiled to people in circumstances that can be harmful to them, it is also essential to shield such people from such revelations. It is appalling to imagine that the very sector that is supposed to report good things is doing the exact opposite. There is so much good happening in the world. Media focus should be on those areas. This way, this fear that we are experiencing will significantly reduce.

Fear is simply in everyone’s hearts. Reports of carjacking, robberies, muggings, and murder will never lack in a news item on any day. Stress levels have shot up because of this. When we look at the larger picture, it weighs heavily on the economic performances of individuals.

Nowadays, media has shifted focus from the critical news to ‘fearsome’ reporting. In an actual sense, this can trigger fear from any person. This is because it is not news that features today, and tomorrow is gone, and it is daily. Don’t you think that this fear may be coming from other forms of reporting? Do you think that, generally, this has contributed to a society of people who constantly have a negative view of what might happen?

A perfect example is a continuing violence in Libya. The media has focused so greatly on it. What do you think might be the effect of a sounding gunshot, maybe in Uganda? Simply put, I am saying that it is not just the fear of violent situations from individuals we are facing; fear is all around us.

In Mexico, there are areas that people cannot visit. This is simply because of the cartels that control those areas. These drug cartels have instilled a lot of fear in the residents who find it hard to take a personal risk of going to those places. The role of the media is quite profound in this. As you argued, reporters and editors always look for stories that bring in majority viewership. Unfortunately, stories of violence have taken a larger share of this.

Although this is informative, people can take the necessary precautions. It is also quite harmful to a person’s welfare. The biggest question is whether media is aware of the negative implications its reporting has on the people? Does it ignore or ride on the fact that they have a right to report anything? In my case, the media is motivated by monetary gains. Is the government unaware of this? Most governments are aware but ignore because the same media will demonize a regime for infringing on its freedom.

Media is the biggest contributor to violence in the world. These violent criminals want to see this public limelight. This is why they commit more and more crimes to enjoy this media bliss. When this happens, people panic. Fear increases the risk of victimization as the perpetrators of the violence feel that they are in a higher position. They also get excited at the fact that they are victimizing people. What do you think should be the government’s positions in this? Is there some form of ethics that should govern the conduct of the media in this?

The processes of globalization largely influence and define the ways modern society develops and changes. The overwhelming tendencies to industrialization, computerization, and consumerism that were launched by society decades ago, boomerang against those who once spawned them.

Observing the new trends in the ways people live, operate, and communicate, sociologists have arrived to a new definition of ‘network society’ based on the achievements of electronic communications. This new kind of society appears to bear both positive and negative perspectives.

On the one hand, due to ability to transfer and share information literally in a flash, ‘network society’ has the opportunity to develop an unprecedented working flexibility and operate much more efficiently in the sphere of collective knowledge. On the other hand, the importance of mass media and communication means has led to prevailing role of computers and other instant messaging devices over personal communication, and the resulting depersonalization of human relations.

In modern ‘network society’, flexibility is perhaps one of the most vital characteristics of a working person, and this quality is by large achieved through the opportunities provided by electronic communication devices. Information can be exchanged in a twinkling of an eye at any time of day and night.

Faxes, E-mails, mobile text messages are delivered to and from any part of the world which is vital for modern swiftly developing businesses. Cooperation and coordination within and among companies have never been as easy. In addition, employees can reconsider the standard image of a workplace and choose to work from home or whatever other place they prefer as their office.

This flexibility of working place entails also flexibility of working place and time — a breakthrough that allows endless working opportunities.

Apart from personal flexibility, the communication achievements of ‘network society’ promote more efficient collaboration and creating of common knowledge at a much easier and more efficient level. Assembling, processing, and sharing information that is presented in bright visuals promotes accumulating knowledge databases available not only for the select few but for the broad public as well.

Despite such optimistic perspectives, there is a fly in the ointment: as communication and media devices are increasingly gaining significance, people are developing relations with them that often border on psychological dependence and even addiction.

Computers, laptops, and cell phones become rightful partners as one cannot imagine running one’s business or even life without them. Communication with the help of machines gradually substitutes personal relations as people start communicating with machines proper. The whole life depends on whether the cell phone battery is fully charged; therefore, people start taking care of their communicating devices as if those were living beings.

As a result of such machine-dominated life, people lose real-life contact with each other. E-mails, chatting programs, and online dating websites substitute for personal contacts, and the culture of live communication is lost. Relationships become one of those online games where nobody is actually hurt or wounded. People gain a feeling of game and do not take real life as serious as it is. Socializing skills are lost, which bears the risk of de-socializing the society.

The unique phenomenon of modern ‘network society’ both delights and frightens. The unlimited opportunities for flexibility in work and communication are contrasted by machines dominating a society where people play with their lives and with each other. Such situation rings an alarm for protecting the value of true relations in order to preserve the social character of human beings.

Advertisers use fear appeals in their commercials to emphasize negative results that can happen unless the consumer changes an attitude or behavior. The use of fear appeals is widespread.

Advertisers use fear appeals to encourage social policy issues such change to healthier habits, stopping smoking, engaging in regular exercise, using contraception, eating a balanced diet and drinking without driving (Pope 2). Commercials also use fear appeals to influence social risks associated with one’s success and opposite sex, career and others (Solomon 334).

Fear appeals work when advertisers present a moderate amount of fear and a solution to the problem is present in the advertisement. Too much amount of fear does not result into change since the audience tends to deny the existence of such threats as a way to rationalize the danger.

A thorough elaboration of fear may interfere with the communication of the intended change behavior to the audience. The audience may think that the advertisement is not for him or her and pays less attention to it. Use of fear works better when the sources are highly credible.

A weak threat is equally ineffective. This can occur has a result of insufficient demonstration of the risky consequences of involving in the behavior.

For instance, the use of scary methods in getting teens to stop their consumptions of alcohol or drugs is not that effective. Teenagers simply tune out the message or deny the relevancy of the message. The use of social threat is a more effective strategy in adolescent than use of scary strategy (Baron 21).

Fear appeals should not be confusing to the audience. The message and emotional response should be consistent. Greater fear may not necessarily results into greater persuasion.

Different people react distinctively to the same amount of fear. Advertisers know that strongest threats have less effect on their perceived audience than moderated fear. Therefore, a more concrete approach to fear appeals is necessary before advertisers make a definite conclusion concerning the effects of fear appeals on consumer behavior.

In the YouTube video advertisement, Do not Drink and Drive, uploaded by Torn Sue in October 17^th 2009, the advertisement is shocking but gets the point home. The advertisement is using fear appeal to highlight effects of drinking and driving, and subsequently to make drunk drivers change their habit.

Drinking and driving is a social issue. The advertiser uses kids playing to show the negative effects of drinking and driving. Even the kids are not so secure from drunk-drivers. People commended the commercial for its effective delivery of the message to the target audience.

However, not everyone appreciated the commercial advertisement. Some critics argued that the message is vague since the advertisement failed to show the driver drunk. The fact that the driver looked sideways and was humming along the radio failed to convince the audience.

They argued that many people do this and get accidents even if they are sober. Therefore, drinking was not a factor to a resulting accident. They also criticized the exaggeration the commercial used to show a car flipping over a fence simply by hitting another car. To them, it is simply being reckless.

The magazine Women & Guns shows American gun makers use fear of women on self and home protection to influence purchase behavior of women. Gun manufacturers now make varieties of guns to their female clients. The magazine features negative outcomes related to lack of guns among women. Critics argue that gun makers capitalize their sales to women due to their fear (Jennings 2).

Consumer Behavior focuses on the everyday activities of consumers. The concepts illustrate on how actions marketers take influence the world. Solomon and other authors interested in the study of consumer behavior capture aspects of consumers such as buying, having and being (Brody 20).

They state that consumer behavior is not only about buying things, but also how having or not having things affects one’s life, and how what we possess influences the way we feel about ourselves and others i.e. one’s state of being. The concept of consumer behavior contributes to the social world experience among consumers due to consumptions of products and services (Otker 30).

Consumer Behavior views different categories of a consumer. A consumer as an individual considers the consumer at the micro level. This examines how the individual gets information from the environment and how a he or she uses these pieces of information to form and modify his or her attitudes about products and oneself.

The concept also looks at a consumer as a decision-maker (Punj 35). This part explores how the consumer uses the information they have to make decisions about consumptions activities.

Consumer Behavior examines how consumers also function as a part of social structure in a given marketing environment. These include influence on various social groups, identity, social class and varied age groups.

Finally, consumer behavior also examines the impact of marketing on mass culture. The view is on expression of cultural values, lifestyles, products relations to cultural myths and values. The text includes some perspectives of globalization and postmodernism.

The theory of consumer behavior pays attention to impacts and informing roles that consumers have on multicultural dimensions, marketing opportunities and marketing pitfalls. Marketers have come up with various categories of market segments to fit their various products and services.

Works Cited

Baron, Robert. Psychology: The Essential Science. Boston: Allyn & Bacon, 1989.

Brody, Jane. “Notions of beauty transcend culture, new study suggests.” New York Times 14 April 2003: 20. Print.

Jennings, Genie. “Making a Difference.” Women & Guns 01 September 2011: 2.Print.

Otker, Ton. “The highly involved consumer: A marketing myth?” Marketing and Research Today Vol. 22.5(1990): 30-36. Print.

Pope, Kyle. “High-tech marketers try to attract women without causing offense.” Wall Street Journal Vol. 12.25 (2000): 2. Print.

Punj, Girish. “Presearch decision making in consumer durable purchases.” Journal of Consumer Marketing Vol.17.31(2005): 35. Print.

Solomon, Michael. Consumer Behavior. New Jersey: Prentice Hall Europe, 2006.

Sue, Torn. “Do not Drink and Drive.” YouTube, 17 July 2010.

“Let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself,” – Franklin Roosevelt

Introduction

The fear in American lives and the role popular culture and media play in shaping it has become an area of interest for many (Altheide). American news media has successfully helped to produce the fear discourse in the mind of its viewers. Television news presents social or political issues or problems that are produced by entertainment media. Thus, it is the “mass media in general, and especially the electronic news media, are part of a “problem-generating machine” geared to entertainment, voyeurism, and the “quick fix” (Altheide, “The News Media, the Problem Frame, and the Production of Fear” media is disseminating fear through all its communication formats and the victims of it all are the viewers. And research shows that a specific theme that transcends from media is fear (Altheide, “The News Media, the Problem Frame, and the Production of Fear”). On a clearer note, it can be said that fear is omnipresent in American people and it gets accentuated through interactions with media broadcasted stories.

As news reports have become a prominent feature of the popular culture, it has successfully intertwined with the everyday life of viewers, political speeches, and other entertainment forms such as movies. It is believed that news is being used to spread fear to offer news that entertains and endorses distrust among the audience. Thus, the part of entertaining news is to shape the content of news and use fear to spread over social issues especially when fear is a prevailing framework in the society.

Fox News has seen a record-breaking increase in view ship by 430 percent growth in the first three years of their operations, in the demographics of 25 to 54 years (Sella). But the channel has been gained prominence with its eating up the share of the rivals (CNN, CNBC, MSNBC, etc.) and mostly provides biased news (Raspberry). For it was reported that Fox News aired a false report on Barak Obama which stated that he was educated in a madrassa (an Islamic school). As quoted in an article by E. J. Dionne Jr., “The first decade of his life, raised by his Muslim father as a Muslim and was educated in a madrassa…Financed by Saudis, they teach this Wahhabism, which pretty much hates us. The big question is, was that on the curriculum back then?” (Dionne Jr.) which was later proven by CNN to be a complete fabrication. A Neil Cavuto showcasing Your World mentioned the Auto company bailout that

“… [US] billions of dollars in subsidies to the arms we support. Wall Street billions of dollars for that they knew what balked at helping working people who work every day and actually produce something in this country it is unfair it’s not right and it is equal. I tell you these people are worth that they work hard and — worthy of this investment it is a low unlike the billions to Wall Street it is alone the Chrysler loan was paid back end this long will be paid back it will pay huge dividends for this country.” (Cavuto)

In this news, Cavuto paints a gloomy picture about the economy and the picture that the auto giants asking for a bailout will not be able to repay the loans and will create a bad picture of the economy. This paints the fear of an industrial failure in the minds of the viewers who are already expecting a recession of the worst kind in the US.

Clearly, Fox News has become an epitome of news that is probably just half true and is clearly able to induce fear in public. These messages induce fear in the American public even when they are not needed to show how American fear formulated through media reflects “pervasive and often unfocused anxieties about their environment in a particular history” (Altheide, Creating Fear, p. 2).

In the proposed paper I intend to present the prevailing fear in American society and which has been produced by news media and the rise of a “problem frame” which is used to delineate this fear. This paper tries to demonstrate how this concept of painting a “problem frame” is used to disseminate fear in news production. For this, we will consider previous researches on media’s construction of fear and primary material of the news transcriptions for a certain timeline for three shows on Fox News, Your World with Neil Cavuto, Special Report with Brit Hume, and The O’Reilly Factor with Bill O’Reilly.

Literature Review

It has been agreed by researchers that fear induced by entertaining news has two forms: (a) news generates a large number of images and content pertaining to fear, including crime and violence, and (b) American audiences believe that social life is dangerous.

Researches on a showcase of violence in media suggest that violent content can lead viewers to perceive everyday life as dangerous and fearful (Altheide, “The News Media, the Problem Frame, and the Production of Fear”). Research on crime in mass media has noted, “Because the media often distort crime by over-representing more severe, intentional, and gruesome incidents, the public overestimates its frequency and often misperceives reality.” (Heath and Gilbert, p. 371) Americans are fearful of many terms such as diseases, nutrition, medical care, terrorism, unemployment, recession, accidents, and life expectancy. Many public opinion polls show that Americans are a fearful society (Altheide, Creating Fear).

Researchers have focused on energy, inflation, and unemployment problems in the US and have shown that TV is a most powerful source of providing accessible information that viewers refer to while interpreting an event. Thus, viewers frame the problem in accordance to the news provided to them through television media and how they will construct it along with the influence of social life: “By priming certain aspects of national life while ignoring others, television news sets the terms by which political judgments are rendered and political choices made” (Iyengar and Kinder 4) Iyengar (1991) in a separate work suggests that stressing and framing of news reports as either “episodic” which focus on individual situations and responsibilities or “thematic” which shows responsibility in regards to the context and society manipulates viewers’ perception of news reports in TV.

Many researchers have used the “problem frame” to satisfy the nature of news to provide entertainment to its audience. The real idea behind this is to make an everyday problem seem interesting to the audience. The news media has successfully generated a frame that aids in generating fear in audiences (Altheide, “The News Media, the Problem Frame, and the Production of Fear”). The problem frame is a secular alternative to the morality play. Its characteristics include narrative structure, universal moral meanings, specific time and place, and an unambiguous focus on the disorder that is culturally resonant.

An examination into the impact of audiences’ perceptions of crime on their beliefs and ideas showed that “fear of crime” distinguishes between perceiving a “risk” and being “fearful”: “Fear is only one of several reactions to judgments of potentially high risk in a situation. Others may include constrained behavior, community or political activism, compensatory defensive actions, and avoidance behaviors including relocation. Perceived risk and the possible reactions to it are viewed as always being developed in an environmental context replete with socially constructed meanings” (Ferraro 12). Ferrero argues that people take precaution against things that are perceived to be risky but not necessarily “feared”. This argument is used by news agencies to suggest that they are trying to show what is risky to the public and not necessarily disseminating “fear”.

Another construct of fear that has gained prominence is victimization (Altheide, “The News Media, the Problem Frame, and the Production of Fear”). But the interesting fact is that it is not only done in case of crimes, but also through political discourse and recently through presidential elections events or recessionary position of America. Here the process has stressed on creation of “others” by creating membership in a group wherein it defines people as outsiders. This is a social process that makes the dominant group the writer of the existence of the inferior group (Schwalbe, Godwin, and Holden).

Currently, a popular discourse of fear in the American news media has been crime and terrorism (Altheide, Creating Fear). These are artfully produced in the media during the 9/11 debacle and infused fear among the American audience (Altheide, Notes Towards A Politics Of Fear).

Different formats shape what is to be presented in mass content Formats and frames shape mass media content (Couch). These media formats provide a definition regarding the communication to the audience. Previous studies on media forms have suggested that forms and formats are complementary and are represented through how this news is popularly packaged so that it can be delivered to the audience. Thus, while reporting an incidence of crime it is important to understand how the content will be framed so as to induce fear in the audience thus how it can be packaged and presented to the audience so that they may interpret it in a variety of ways (Altheide, Creating Fear).

On discussion, the “problem frame” as discussed by Athdeide in figures 1 shows that it is a process of broadcasting the incidence through the use of mass media and the perception it creates to the public is the “problem frame”.

Figure 1 shows how the real incidents are turned into “non-problems, problems, and solutions” (Altheide, “The News Media, the Problem Frame, and the Production of Fear” 657). The figure demonstrates the experience frame that is mediated through complex technology through television. This new technology has risen the “mass audiences, mass marketing techniques, and application and refinement of the entertainment formats for sitcoms and news alike, the problem frame has been developed and refined” (657). The diagram suggests that the problem is regularly applied to different incidents which are claimed to be “problems” by the news media. As has been suggested through the example of the news in Fox News about Obama being taught in a madrassa suggests that the audience will interpret the message in different lights given an existing fear of Muslim terrorism as a threat to America after 9/11. This news piece is expected to create a “total stock of knowledge” about the false report and will be helpful in the creation of “problem frames”.

Methodology

The main aim of this study is to investigate the creation of fear through news deliverance. The media creates the “problem frame” by twisting facts and delivering the news from a different point of view by increasing its entertainment value. I hereby argue that certain Fox News Channel shows cause fear by criticizing certain things and altering the news. Gossip has now become one of the top interests of the press (Eco). The way newscasters combine their perspective and the actual news together, the opinion of the audience is formed due to what they have learned from what they are watching (Kuzyk, McCluskey, and Ross). These strategies are used to cause fear and concern and are left wanting more information. Hence, I would like to investigate the dissemination of fear among viewers of a few Fox News shows which is created due to the distortion of the facts that the channel shows.

The main sources that are used to study the media presentations are transcripts from the Fox News Channel’s official website along with the manuscript from the shows of Bill O’Reilly, Brit Hume, and Neil Cavuto. We will cover the shows dated from November 4, 2008, to November 17, 2008. Other than these, we will use Library databases from the University of Tennessee website will provide me with additional sources.

The analysis of the problem is done through the process of “tracking discourse” (Altheide, Notes Towards A Politics Of Fear). Our study is mainly a qualitative analysis of the primary documents as mentioned above and aims to analyze a number of documents, which will enable us to become familiar with formats and emphases, and by which we can suggest topics and themes. First, we will code news of fear and related topics and then try to analyze the changes in coverage and how they are accentuating or decreasing this notion of “fear”. Thus, we will try to find the news topics which are used to deliver “fear messages” use the latent and emergent approach as had been done by Altheide in producing a “problem frame” along with comparing the thematic emphases in the news content.

Conclusion

News is a creator of incidents in its own light. With the emergence of the entertainment value of news and their growing view ship, Fox News has taken the strategy of deliberately framing news, reporting gossips, distorting facts, and delivering “fear” to the audience. Research has shown that Americans are more fearful than others are and the element of fear has increased over time. Using this “fear” element, News channels are resorting to present facts, which induce a greater amount of fear and presents the issue as a magnified problem. This study aims to investigate how this fear is framed through a few shows aired on Fox news. Here we consider a particular time frame when we analyze the news aired through the channel.

This study will help to understand how news channels have successfully commercialized reality and how they are using their power to reach millions to manipulate their perceptions and make them even more “fearful” of simple incidents.

Bibliography

1. Altheide, David L. “The News Media, the Problem Frame, and the Production of Fear”.” The Sociological Quarterly vol. 38 no. 4 (1997): 647-668.
2. —. Creating Fear. New York: Aldine Transaction, 2002.
3. —. “Notes Towards A Politics Of Fear.” Journal for Crime, Conflict and the Media 1 (1) (2003): 37-54.
4. Cavuto, Nei. Tired of the Double Standard. Washington, 2008.
5. Couch, Carl J. Constructing Civilization. Greenwich, CT: JAI Press, 1984.
6. Dionne Jr., E. J. “Saying No to Fox News.” 2007. Washington Post.
7. Eco, Umberto. “Don’t Slip on the Media’s Banana Skins.” New Statesmen (1998): 127-4416.
8. Ferraro, Kenneth F. Fear of Crime: Interpreting Victimization Risk. Albany: University of New York Press, 1995.
9. Heath, Linda and Kevin Gilbert. “Mass Media and Fear of Crime.” American Behavioral Scientist 39 (1996): 379-386.
10. Iyengar, Shanto and Donald M. Kinder. News that Matters. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago press, 1987.
11. Iyengar, Shanto. Is Anyone Responsible?: How Television Frames Political Issues.. Chicago: IL: University of Chicago Press, 1991.
12. Kuzyk, Patricia, Jill J. McCluskey and Susan Dente Ross. “Testing a Political Economic Theory of the Media: How Were Steel Tariffs Covered?.” Social Science Quarterly 86(4) (2005): 812-25.
13. Raspberry, William. “Fox’s Sandstorm.” 2005. Washington Post.
14. Schwalbe, M., et al. “Generic processes in the reproduction of inequality: an interactionist analysis.” Social Forces vol. 79 (2000): 419-452.
15. Sella, Marshall. “The Red-State Network.” 2001. The New York Times.

The three words that come to mind after watching the “Color of Fear” documentary are color, racism, and America. Color comes to mind because the film is aptly titled “The Color of Fear”. Consequently, color is an important part of the producer’s main message. As soon as the film starts, the presence of people from various races informs viewers that the film is indeed about skin color.

The issue of racism is introduced by the film’s director right from the beginning. The eight characters who are featured in the video discuss nothing but race-related issues throughout the video. Therefore, by the end of the video the issue of race is already embedded in the mind of the viewer. Furthermore, the claim about some of the film’s characters being racist is made constantly.

America comes to mind because racial tensions and discussions are synonymous with America. America as a nation is synonymous with racial diversity. In addition, no other country in the world discusses racial issues as openly as America does. Therefore, when a group of people sits down to discuss race issues, America come to mind.

I was not surprised at my choice of words because the video mostly discusses a single subject. The issue of racism dominates the entire video. Consequently, by the time the video is over, racism and its related matters have dominated the mindset. All of the three words that came to my mind after watching the video were constantly mentioned in the featured discussion.

For example, when victor is confronting David he exclaims that the problem faced by individuals in America is not related to ‘color’. Victor also claims that most of the white people in America equate their skin color with being ‘American’. As the discussion continues, the issues of racism and American citizenship keep coming up. Therefore, it is natural for racism, color, and America to be the three words in my head.

The three words (racism, America, and color) reveal a lot about the intentions and the message of the filmmaker. The maker of this video arranged for a discussion between people from four of the most dominant races in America to take place. The eight individuals represent African American, Asian, Hispanic, and Caucasian races. These four groups are the most dominant ethnic groups in America.

However, the issue of racism is explored from several different angles. When it comes to issues of race, white Americans are mostly considered to be the aggressors. In the video, this theory is confirmed by David Christensen who is seemingly oblivious of the racial tensions that characterize America. However, the other white man in the group has a better understanding of racism but he admits that he needs to adjust his attitude.

Color as seen in the video is a contributor of racism but it is not its indicator. In the video, the people of color act as both victims and perpetuators of racism. For instance, the issue of discrimination and racism between individuals from the same faction is explored. The tensions between the Asian communities as indicated by the Chinese, Korean, and Japanese populations within America are an example of another form of racism.

The issue of color and racism is henceforth viewed from an ‘American’ point of view. The main characters constantly argue whether only white Americans are the natural citizens of the United States. In addition, the issue of minority races being considered as outsiders is reiterated by almost all of the men in the video.

The case in (Merseth, 1997) tells us about a successful teacher Erica Suzman who takes a step forward in her career and enters a new school as a principal. Despite Erica is full of inspiration and enthusiasm, her entry is not as smooth as she might expect. Trying to set rapport with her subordinates, Erica nevertheless cannot find a common language with some of the teachers, as well as with her assistant, Harriet Clyde. There are several reasons for the difficulties the new principal has with her entry.

First of all, Erica’s challenging situation is caused by the fact that she does not manage to switch the model of her behavior and decision-making from a teacher to a principal. She has not developed a strategy for her principalship and has no neat vision of her leadership style. If we look at the set of pairs of mental representations offered by Reason (2010) (each pair helps to detect what point a leader is inclined to in his/her leadership style), we will notice that some of the pairs concern the very issues that Principal Suzman should have thought over: for example, “The leader’s role: master or servant?”, “Change solutions: prepackaged or cocreated?” et al.

These pairs of mental representations imply that a leader should have a deliberate view on whether he/she involves subordinates in decision-making, and when and how he/she should do it. Instead, Erica did not choose either this model or the opposite one, but focused on setting relations with colleagues and hired Mrs. Clyde under the influence of circumstances (Merseth, p.58). Thus, the main task that Miss Suzman has to cope with is to “use [her] head more than [her] heart” (p.68) and develop her position as a leader. Besides, she needs to get used to the fact that she should delegate responsibilities rather than trying to do everything on her own.

Another issue that Principal Suzman has to work on is flexibility and the ability to understand others’ positions. Erica Suzman forgot about the proverb that says, “When in Rome do as the Romans do”. Despite Miss Suzman is a talented teacher with her advanced vision of how the teaching process should be conducted, she entered a school where another style of teaching dominated: the majority of teachers focused on discipline and standards while Erica herself focused on individuality and personal approach.

If we again allude to Reason’s scheme of mental representations, we will find several pairs of representations that describe this difference: for example, “Learning goals: teaching to standard or adding value?”, “The purpose of school: reflect and maintain community standards or advance them?” et al. (Reason, 2010). Erica has to understand that changing the teaching style and leadership style that has dominated in the school for years is very difficult and time-consuming. She needs to access the distinctions in her and others’ styles of teaching and discern the difference between them and real problems and violations.

The particular case that Erica has to deal with is the case of Royal Collins, a fourth-grader who has problems in his family and often demonstrates misbehavior at school. Being an experienced teacher, she recognized correctly that the boy needed a personal approach and interest.

She also saw that neither Mrs. James nor Mrs. Clyde was willing to provide this interest to Royal; that is why her decision about taking this case under her control was correct, even so, that we see that her communication with the boy had a visible positive effect. At the same time, Miss Suzman should defend her position concerning this case in her conversation with the superintendent and explain that in this case, her interest in Royal’s case is reasonable.

As the school principal, Erica Suzman has responsibility for Royal Collins’s case. At the same time, she has the right to request the juvenile officer to coordinate the work between the department and the school. Dottie Bauer argued that “it isn’t clear whose job” it was to inform the school about cases analogous to Royal’s case (p.64), but Erica has to eliminate this “informational gap” and introduce a new model of communication with the department: she should insist on informing the school about unordinary cases connected with its students.

References

Merseth, K. K. (1997). Cases in Educational Administration. USA: Allyn & Bacon.

Reason, C. (2010). Competing Mental Representations in Schools. Solution-Tree.Com. Web.