James Alex Bonus
Biographic Data
| ID | 215910 |
|---|---|
| NAME | James Alex Bonus |
| GIVEN NAMES | James Alex |
| FAMILY NAME | Bonus |
| SIGNATURE | BONUS J A |
| AFFILIATIONS | The Ohio State University |
| ORCID | 0000-0001-5173-6411 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 19 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 7 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 19 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2018 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 2 |
From educational to informational: Genre and instructional quality in Children's informational videos on YouTube
Extending print-based genre frameworks into the digital media context, this study examined the prevalence, distribution, and instructional quality of informational videos that young children (ages 3–8) viewed on YouTube. Drawn from a larger corpus of 319 educational videos reported by parents in a prior study, we identified 74 YouTube videos that conveyed informational content. We then categorized them as expository, narrative-informational, or h…
If I Don’t Laugh, I’ll Cry: Examining the Mechanisms and Gratifications of Humor in Eudaimonic Entertainment Experiences
Humorous and eudaimonic entertainment are often treated as theoretically distinct media experiences. Prior research has examined unique outcomes of meaningful entertainment, including making sense of difficulties (MSOD), connectedness, and helping intentions. The present study (N = 275) experimentally manipulated the presence of humor in a film about cancer to examine how humor relates to these outcomes. Results show that, through the mechanisms …
A research brief investigating educational television and U.S. children’s interest in science and world culture
Research on educational television has overwhelmingly investigated the impact of viewing on children’s knowledge acquisition. However, this content might influence other important outcomes, such as children’s interest in learning about new topics. To investigate this possibility, we invited parents of 3- to 8-year-old children (N = 83) to answer three surveys over 1 month. The first survey included a video encouraging families to view a popular s…
A building block for science talk: Educational TV supports parent–child conversations during an engineering activity
We investigated the impact of parents' open-ended questions during collaborative science activities. Specifically, we randomly assigned 116 parents (69.8% mothers; 89.7% White) and their 4- to 7-year-old children (50.9% girls; 87.9% White) to watch science television before or after completing an engineering activity. Using sequence analysis, we examined the conversational exchanges elicited by parents' open-ended questions. Two patterns emerged:…
Wise Beyond Their Years: Testing the Mediated Wisdom of Experience Framework with Children
The mediated wisdom of experience (MWOE) framework posits that eudaimonic entertainment can produce outcomes associated with emotional maturity (e.g.delayed gratification).However, this framework has only been tested with adults.In the current experiment, parents and their 8-to 12-year-old children (N = 230) watched scenes from a popular Pixar movie that featured high or low levels of eudaimonic content (i.e. a bittersweet farewell vs. a humorous…
You Do You[Tube]!The multifaceted roles of online video viewing in the lives of U.S. children
How Moral Expectancy Violations Influence Audiences’ Affective Dispositions Toward Characters
Affective disposition theory (ADT) explains that the moral judgments of character behavior inform dispositions toward characters. These dispositions bias moral judgments of characters’ subsequent behaviors and establish behavioral expectations. We used expectancy violations theory to help specify people’s dispositions toward characters. In study 1, we modified the footbridge dilemma to develop experimental stimuli and predictions. Studies 2 and 3…
Representations of LGBQ+ families in young children’s media
Representations of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer (LGBQ+)1 characters in children’s media have proliferated over the last five years (GLAAD Media Institute, 2019). In large part, this shift has
Conceptualizing U.S. educational television as preparation for future learning
Children sometimes fail to transfer lessons gleaned from educational television. However, exposure to this content might impart foundational knowledge that facilitates children’s learning from subsequent formal instruction. This possibility is consistent with the predictions of a theoretical framework known as “preparation for future learning” (PFL). In the current experiment, 4- to 6-year-old children (N = 109) watched one of three educational s…
When “meaningless” means more: Biographic resonance and audience appreciation of popular entertainment
Integrating predictions derived from the self-memory system and biographic resonance theory, the current project investigated the relationship between media-induced reminiscence and appreciation. In two experiments, undergraduates consumed popular entertainment from either their early adolescence or the present day. Study 1 (N = 406) featured music, and Study 2 (N = 405) featured movies. Both studies found that memory recall was more common in re…
Counter-stereotypical, yet Counterproductive? How Families at a Science Museum Respond to Narratives that Defy Gender Stereotypes
While visiting a science museum, mothers (N = 125) and their 4- to 7-year-old children were recruited to read one of four versions of an educational storybook. These storybooks detailed either male-dominated careers (i.e., STEM: science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) or female-dominated careers (i.e., HEED: health, early education, and domestic roles), and they featured either a male protagonist or a female protagonist. Results indica…
Won’t somebody think of the parents? Reevaluating the audience for children’s educational media
Parents are an essential component of research conducted in the field of children, adolescents, and media (CAM). Not only do they determine whether their children will be allowed to participate in
What Do Mothers Learn from Children’s Science Television
Mothers and their 4- to 5-year-old children (N = 46) watched one of two versions of an educational science television show. One version modeled didactic instruction (i.e., imparting factual knowledge), whereas the other version modeled inquiry instruction (i.e., encouraging investigation). Children struggled to learn from either video. However, the video that modeled didactic instruction taught mothers new factual information, and the video that …
The influence of exposure to educational science television on U.S. parents’ science explanations to their children
In the current experiment, U.S. parents (N = 141) of children between the ages of 3 and 6 watched one of three versions of a popular educational science television show. Each version varied how science information was portrayed. Afterward, parents generated science explanations in response to hypothetical questions from their children. Results indicated that parents exposed to science television generated explanations that contained more scientif…
Finding refuge in reverie: The terror management function of nostalgic entertainment experiences
Drawing on terror management theory (TMT), three experiments examined the impact of mortality threat on nostalgic entertainment experiences. Study 1 (N = 98) validated the stimuli used to elicit three different types of threat: mortality, isolation, and illness. Study 2 (N = 464) found no impact of these threats on participants’ entertainment preferences. Consistent with TMT, Study 3 (N = 906) found that participants experienced a deeper sense of…
I’ve Got a Girl Crush: Parents’ Responses to Stories about Sexuality in Children’s Television
People harbor unique biases about the relative influence of popular media on themselves compared to others. Broadly, they expect others to experience greater harm from exposure to negative depictions (e.g., violent content) and to derive fewer benefits from exposure to positive depictions (e.g., educational content). The current experiment examined if these biases impact how parents monitor their children's television exposure, specifically progr…
Celebrating Your Circle of Life: Eudaimonic Responses to Nostalgic Entertainment Experiences
Studies of eudaimonic entertainment experiences have primarily examined the effects of exposure to serious content (e.g., tragic movies) rather than lighthearted content that nonetheless harbors personal significance (e.g., beloved movies from childhood). Two experiments investigated the characteristics of these so-called nostalgic entertainment experiences among U.S. adults, using Star Wars movies in Study 1 (N = 1,127) and animated Disney movie…
The impact of pictorial realism in educational science television on U.S. children’s learning and transfer of biological facts
Although children’s science television shows aim to educate young audiences, a recent content analysis found that these shows are mostly animated and often depict science information anthropomorphically. An experiment examined the implications of these depictions for children’s learning and transfer of scientific information. Preschoolers viewed two videos about insect communication from a popular children’s television show that contained either …
When the Sun Sings Science, Are Children Left in the Dark? Representations of Science in Children's Television and Their Effects on Children's Learning
How is educational information presented in children's science television shows, and how well do preschool viewers learn that information? A content analysis of 21 science programs for children (Study 1) found that half of the examined episodes taught science concepts by introducing and subsequently refuting inaccurate ideas (e.g., clouds are made of cotton candy), and one-third depicted focal science concepts in anthropomorphic ways. An experime…
When the Sun Sings Science, Are Children Left in the Dark? Representations of Science in Children's Television and Their Effects on Children's Learning
How is educational information presented in children's science television shows, and how well do preschool viewers learn that information? A content analysis of 21 science programs for children (Study 1) found that half of the examined episodes taught science concepts by introducing and subsequently refuting inaccurate ideas (e.g., clouds are made of cotton candy), and one-third depicted focal science concepts in anthropomorphic ways. An experime…
Finding refuge in reverie: The terror management function of nostalgic entertainment experiences
Drawing on terror management theory (TMT), three experiments examined the impact of mortality threat on nostalgic entertainment experiences. Study 1 (N = 98) validated the stimuli used to elicit three different types of threat: mortality, isolation, and illness. Study 2 (N = 464) found no impact of these threats on participants’ entertainment preferences. Consistent with TMT, Study 3 (N = 906) found that participants experienced a deeper sense of…
You Do You[Tube]!The multifaceted roles of online video viewing in the lives of U.S. children
When the Sun Sings Science, Are Children Left in the Dark? Representations of Science in Children's Television and Their Effects on Children's Learning
How is educational information presented in children's science television shows, and how well do preschool viewers learn that information? A content analysis of 21 science programs for children (Study 1) found that half of the examined episodes taught science concepts by introducing and subsequently refuting inaccurate ideas (e.g., clouds are made of cotton candy), and one-third depicted focal science concepts in anthropomorphic ways. An experime…
The impact of pictorial realism in educational science television on U.S. children’s learning and transfer of biological facts
Although children’s science television shows aim to educate young audiences, a recent content analysis found that these shows are mostly animated and often depict science information anthropomorphically. An experiment examined the implications of these depictions for children’s learning and transfer of scientific information. Preschoolers viewed two videos about insect communication from a popular children’s television show that contained either …
Celebrating Your Circle of Life: Eudaimonic Responses to Nostalgic Entertainment Experiences
Studies of eudaimonic entertainment experiences have primarily examined the effects of exposure to serious content (e.g., tragic movies) rather than lighthearted content that nonetheless harbors personal significance (e.g., beloved movies from childhood). Two experiments investigated the characteristics of these so-called nostalgic entertainment experiences among U.S. adults, using Star Wars movies in Study 1 (N = 1,127) and animated Disney movie…
What Do Mothers Learn from Children’s Science Television
Mothers and their 4- to 5-year-old children (N = 46) watched one of two versions of an educational science television show. One version modeled didactic instruction (i.e., imparting factual knowledge), whereas the other version modeled inquiry instruction (i.e., encouraging investigation). Children struggled to learn from either video. However, the video that modeled didactic instruction taught mothers new factual information, and the video that …
The influence of exposure to educational science television on U.S. parents’ science explanations to their children
In the current experiment, U.S. parents (N = 141) of children between the ages of 3 and 6 watched one of three versions of a popular educational science television show. Each version varied how science information was portrayed. Afterward, parents generated science explanations in response to hypothetical questions from their children. Results indicated that parents exposed to science television generated explanations that contained more scientif…
Finding refuge in reverie: The terror management function of nostalgic entertainment experiences
Drawing on terror management theory (TMT), three experiments examined the impact of mortality threat on nostalgic entertainment experiences. Study 1 (N = 98) validated the stimuli used to elicit three different types of threat: mortality, isolation, and illness. Study 2 (N = 464) found no impact of these threats on participants’ entertainment preferences. Consistent with TMT, Study 3 (N = 906) found that participants experienced a deeper sense of…
I’ve Got a Girl Crush: Parents’ Responses to Stories about Sexuality in Children’s Television
People harbor unique biases about the relative influence of popular media on themselves compared to others. Broadly, they expect others to experience greater harm from exposure to negative depictions (e.g., violent content) and to derive fewer benefits from exposure to positive depictions (e.g., educational content). The current experiment examined if these biases impact how parents monitor their children's television exposure, specifically progr…
When “meaningless” means more: Biographic resonance and audience appreciation of popular entertainment
Integrating predictions derived from the self-memory system and biographic resonance theory, the current project investigated the relationship between media-induced reminiscence and appreciation. In two experiments, undergraduates consumed popular entertainment from either their early adolescence or the present day. Study 1 (N = 406) featured music, and Study 2 (N = 405) featured movies. Both studies found that memory recall was more common in re…
Counter-stereotypical, yet Counterproductive? How Families at a Science Museum Respond to Narratives that Defy Gender Stereotypes
While visiting a science museum, mothers (N = 125) and their 4- to 7-year-old children were recruited to read one of four versions of an educational storybook. These storybooks detailed either male-dominated careers (i.e., STEM: science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) or female-dominated careers (i.e., HEED: health, early education, and domestic roles), and they featured either a male protagonist or a female protagonist. Results indica…
Won’t somebody think of the parents? Reevaluating the audience for children’s educational media
Parents are an essential component of research conducted in the field of children, adolescents, and media (CAM). Not only do they determine whether their children will be allowed to participate in
How Moral Expectancy Violations Influence Audiences’ Affective Dispositions Toward Characters
Affective disposition theory (ADT) explains that the moral judgments of character behavior inform dispositions toward characters. These dispositions bias moral judgments of characters’ subsequent behaviors and establish behavioral expectations. We used expectancy violations theory to help specify people’s dispositions toward characters. In study 1, we modified the footbridge dilemma to develop experimental stimuli and predictions. Studies 2 and 3…
Representations of LGBQ+ families in young children’s media
Representations of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer (LGBQ+)1 characters in children’s media have proliferated over the last five years (GLAAD Media Institute, 2019). In large part, this shift has
Conceptualizing U.S. educational television as preparation for future learning
Children sometimes fail to transfer lessons gleaned from educational television. However, exposure to this content might impart foundational knowledge that facilitates children’s learning from subsequent formal instruction. This possibility is consistent with the predictions of a theoretical framework known as “preparation for future learning” (PFL). In the current experiment, 4- to 6-year-old children (N = 109) watched one of three educational s…
Wise Beyond Their Years: Testing the Mediated Wisdom of Experience Framework with Children
The mediated wisdom of experience (MWOE) framework posits that eudaimonic entertainment can produce outcomes associated with emotional maturity (e.g.delayed gratification).However, this framework has only been tested with adults.In the current experiment, parents and their 8-to 12-year-old children (N = 230) watched scenes from a popular Pixar movie that featured high or low levels of eudaimonic content (i.e. a bittersweet farewell vs. a humorous…
You Do You[Tube]!The multifaceted roles of online video viewing in the lives of U.S. children
If I Don’t Laugh, I’ll Cry: Examining the Mechanisms and Gratifications of Humor in Eudaimonic Entertainment Experiences
Humorous and eudaimonic entertainment are often treated as theoretically distinct media experiences. Prior research has examined unique outcomes of meaningful entertainment, including making sense of difficulties (MSOD), connectedness, and helping intentions. The present study (N = 275) experimentally manipulated the presence of humor in a film about cancer to examine how humor relates to these outcomes. Results show that, through the mechanisms …
A research brief investigating educational television and U.S. children’s interest in science and world culture
Research on educational television has overwhelmingly investigated the impact of viewing on children’s knowledge acquisition. However, this content might influence other important outcomes, such as children’s interest in learning about new topics. To investigate this possibility, we invited parents of 3- to 8-year-old children (N = 83) to answer three surveys over 1 month. The first survey included a video encouraging families to view a popular s…
A building block for science talk: Educational TV supports parent–child conversations during an engineering activity
We investigated the impact of parents' open-ended questions during collaborative science activities. Specifically, we randomly assigned 116 parents (69.8% mothers; 89.7% White) and their 4- to 7-year-old children (50.9% girls; 87.9% White) to watch science television before or after completing an engineering activity. Using sequence analysis, we examined the conversational exchanges elicited by parents' open-ended questions. Two patterns emerged:…
From educational to informational: Genre and instructional quality in Children's informational videos on YouTube
Extending print-based genre frameworks into the digital media context, this study examined the prevalence, distribution, and instructional quality of informational videos that young children (ages 3–8) viewed on YouTube. Drawn from a larger corpus of 319 educational videos reported by parents in a prior study, we identified 74 YouTube videos that conveyed informational content. We then categorized them as expository, narrative-informational, or h…
Psychology (18 works) · Media Influence and Health (13 works) · Child Development and Digital Technology (12 works) · Social Psychology (9 works) · Art (8 works) · Developmental psychology (7 works) · Sociology (6 works) · Computer Science (5 works) · Entertainment (5 works) · Science education (5 works)