title: Media ratings for movies, music, video games, and television: a review of the research and recommendations for improvements.
abstract: This article review is organized by studies that are relevant for testing the reliability and validity of ratings systems. Specifically, the interrater reliability, consistency, temporal stability, content validity, construct validity, and criterion validity of media ratings systems are reviewed. Data that are related to testing the "forbidden fruit" and "tainted fruit" hypotheses also are reviewed. Several changes are recommended to improve the ratings systems, including the creation of a universal ratings system that could be applied equally to all media. The research reviewed here can provide a guide for how to construct a reliable, valid, and more useful ratings system. This is important because the decisions that parents make regarding their children's media use can be only as good as the information to which the parents have access.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Iowa State University, W112 Lagomarcino Hall, Ames, IA 50011-3180, USA. dgentile@iastate.edu
authors.forename: Douglas A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Gentile
authors.forename: Jeremy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Humphrey
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Walsh
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D009040:Motion Pictures / Q000145:classification / Q000592:standards*; D009146:Music; D011786:Quality Control; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D012941:Social Responsibility; D014481:United States; D018910:Video Games / Q000145:classification / Q000592:standards*; D014754:Violence