psychology of media bias and its impact on Arab-American and Muslim psyche

ABSTRACT

Stereotypical degradation and humiliation of minority ethnic groups have been practiced historically by all forms of U. S. media; however, the devastating aftermath of September 11, 2001, heightened the degree of prejudice, discriminatory behavior and misunderstandings, particularly toward Muslims and Arab-Americans. These groups have continued to experience negative societal reactions that run the gamut from suspicion to phobia. This study attempted to determine the extent to which this has affected all members of Arab-American and Muslim- American communities especially children. A survey was conducted to examine American attitudes toward Muslim and Arab-Americans and their potential impact on children's psyche and well being. Statistical techniques were employed to analyze and summarize responses for each survey question. A chi-square test and logistic regression techniques were used to ascertain if there were significant relationships between response variables and the set of independent variables. The study explored these differences in detail and provides statistical analyses of these findings: