Research Findings

Since 1950 males outnumber female movie characters 2 to 1   But when present, females twice as likely to be involved in sexual scenes;   Both males and females increasingly involved in violence   PHILADELPHIA – Annenberg Public Policy Center (APPC) research that analyzed 855 top 30 box-office films from 1950 to 2006 shows that

Research on the portrayal of tobacco use in popular movies conducted by APPC’s Adolescent Risk Communication Institute, directed by Patrick E. Jamieson, Ph.D., was cited in the 2012 Surgeon General’s Report, “Preventing Tobacco Use Among Youth and Young Adults.” (The full report can be found here: http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/reports/preventing-youth-tobacco-use/full-report.pdf.) A figure comparing tobacco use in movies with

For Immediate Release March 27, 2012 Contact: Kathleen Hall Jamieson (info@flackcheck.org) Jamieson is Director of the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania, home of FlackCheck.org, a site whose “They said WHAT?” page flags extreme rhetoric of both the left and right and includes a video illustrating these findings.   Background: When the

Findings point to lack of self-control but not sensation seeking Cognitive training could reduce the risk   FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE DATE: 6 March 2012 CONTACT: Dan Romer, 215-898-6776 (office); 610-202-7315 (cell)   In a study published in Developmental Psychology, researchers at the Annenberg Public Policy Center and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia have identified two components

On Tuesday the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing and Trades met to discuss the need for regulation to protect consumers from the risks associated with online gambling. Dan Romer, director of APPC’s Adolescent Communication Institution, shared research findings from the National Annenberg Survey of Youth on the adverse effects of gambling on

APPC Research Associate Jessica Taylor Piotrowski and Research Coordinator Shonna Kydd gave a poster presentation, “Developing Media Interventions to Reduce Household Sugar-sweetened Beverage Consumption,” at the 29th annual scientific meeting of The Obesity Society in October. Authors of the work are Amy B. Jordan, Michael Hennessy, Jessica Taylor Piotrowski, Amy Bleakley, and Shonna Kydd of

The Annenberg Public Policy Center has updated the work that it produced for the 1997, 1999, and 2001 House Bipartisan Retreats. The new report’s analysis of the taking down processes from 1935-2011 identifies five parallels between the 112th and earlier “combustible” Congresses:   The 112th is a turnover Congress. Incivility increased in the first sessions

At a press conference at the National Constitution Center on Friday, September 16, former Associate Justice of the Supreme Court Sandra Day O’Connor will release an Annenberg Public Policy Center sponsored report titled “The Guardian of Democracy: The Civic Mission of Schools,” recommending actions that the federal, state, and local governments, as well as families

A 24-year-old told readers of Reddit (www.reddit.com/r/suicidewatch) of his intention to end his life, a forecast that proved accurate (see http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2010/08/31/reddit-suicide-how-the-internet-can-help-and-hurt.html). A log of the comments posted to him between the time of his announcement and his death revealed that although many offered help, some openly encouraged him to go through with the act.  

Annenberg Public Policy Center research analyzing 855 top box- office films from 1950 to 2006 shows that the portrayal of explicit and graphic suicide has tripled over that time. It also found no difference in the most explicit portrayals in films rated PG-13 versus those rated R by the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA)