The emotional impact of televised interpersonal dramas was investigated, with specific emphasis being given to age- and gender-related differences in children's spontaneous nonverbal expressive reactions. Participants were 27 female and 22 male children in three age groups: 4-5, 7-8, and 13-14 years. Facial expressions were unobtrusively videotaped in a 45-minute session in which subjects viewed a series of televised vignettes portraying dramatic interpersonal interactions expected to elicit positive (euphoric) or negative (dysphoric) emotional responses in viewers. Variables scored were affect valence, overall affect, and type of affect evoked. Both younger groups displayed significantly more affect than did the oldest group, and mean affect displayed per episode decreased monotonically with age. Furthermore, girls displayed significantly more affect than did boys. Although the mean affect valence displayed for episodes was similar across ages, boys displayed less negative affect than did girls. Gender-related differences were also observed when facial expressions were coded into specific affect categories. The most notable changes with age were decreases in expressions coded as "afraid" and increases in expressions coded as "sad." It was concluded that findings offer support for views of differential socialization of affect with age and according to gender. (RH)