Regardless of age, gender and level of education of people who watch television, believe in different kinds of errors. This is the conclusion the Austrian scientists from the Medical University of Vienna. Learn more about their research can be know in the journal Death Studies
In the experiment, was attended by 322 residents of Austria -. 180 women and 152 men (average age was 35 years). All of the volunteers had a different educational level:
some of them never learned, except school, some have graduated from college, some have a high school diploma.
First, the experiment participants were asked how often they watch TV, and then asked to answer the following five questions.
1. How many prisoners in Austria, in your opinion, is currently sitting on death row and awaiting execution?
2. How many Austrians, in your opinion, lethal injection over the past five years has been introduced?
3. What do you think, in relation to how many Austrians had applied lethal injection in the period from 1989 to 2013?
4. How many Austrians have undergone the electric chair for the last five years?
5. How many Austrians have undergone the electric chair from 1989 to 2013.
The correct answer to each of the five questions – 0. The fact that the death penalty was abolished in Austria, February 7, 1968
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at the same time, every tenth participant of the experiment (11.6%) agreed that the country is still administered lethal injections and put in the electric chair. Moreover, the existence of the death penalty in those Austrians believed that many were watching television. For example, 22 respondents were confident that now prisoners in Austria expect the death penalty, 36 of the respondents said that in 1989 criminals introduced lethal injection, 38 wrote that the criminals were subjected to the electric chair.
According to authors of the study, this is due to the fact that the study participants often watched American movies and TV shows, characters who were expecting the death penalty. In particular, the American detective story is often tied to the attempt of the defendants to avoid the death penalty.
«On the basis of the results of the work we conclude that the average Austrian derives from the TV basic knowledge” – experts comment.
During the study, scientists have found: an average Austrians watching television about 5.11 hours per week. “The Americans, for example, watch TV much more – almost 5 hours each day, – added the Austrians. – And it was the TV makes people believe in different myths and urban legends. ” In addition, scientists believe that the viewing of certain programs on television a man formed his values of life.
«It is interesting that people who are a lot of watching television, often too much trust in doctors, lawyers and police officers, – explain the Austrians. – Because on television often show the ideal representatives of these professions »
It is important that, judging by the results of previous research, fans of the” box “more often become victims of crime..
In this case, the researchers note that one can not rule out other factors, due to which the respondents believed in the death penalty. For example, according to the authors of the study, some participants were too young and were not aware of the death penalty. Or they are not interested in what is happening in the legal system.