The U.S. Surgeon General's report on the effects of televised violence on children is discussed--how the report began, how it was compiled, and the results. The book concludes that broadcast media influence kept the most respected social scientist investigators of the subject off the Committee, and that the final results were distorted in the…

A summative evaluation of the final form of the first four episodes of Big Blue Marble, a television series for children, was conducted. Researchers examined children's perceptions of similarities and differences between themselves and children in other parts of the world; their opinions about the well-being of other children; their opinions about…

Major collections of research contributions on the fundamental nature of children's television viewing have been compiled in this book. Each chapter presents the assumptions, methodologies, theories, and major research findings of a particular research program or tradition. Chapters 1 through 4 are directed toward the examination of children's…

An evaluation was made of the methodology and findings presented in "Television and Antisocial Behavior. Field Experiments," by Stanley Milgram and R. Lance Shotland (New York: Academic Press, 1973). In the book, seven experiments were reported, all concerned with antisocial behavior toward a medical charity. Three episodes of Medical…

Over a two month period, the Committee on Children's Television evaluated the response of commercial broadcasters to the Federal Communications Commission guidelines that were established in 1974. Volunteers in 12 cities monitored children's programs on network affiliated and independent television stations. Managers of local television stations…

In recent years, television has received increasing criticism for its portrayal of the female as the passive mother, homemaker, or secretary. Recent content analysis studies of North American television broadcasting support the assertion that women have been stereotyped as second class citizens in a man's world; seldom are they presented as…

This study explores the influence that grade level, sex, mass media, and other outside interests have on the television viewing habits of children. Differences in the amount of viewing, program preference, type of program preferred, and typical daily patterns of viewing were items investigated. A questionnaire was used to survey general…

The portrayal of male and female roles on prime-time television programs was investigated. Sixteen programs were observed, and data on the number and occupation of female and male characters, on positive and negative behaviors, including competence and aggression, were recorded. Plot summaries were also written for typical episodes. Research on…

A reexamination of the role of the mass media in the educational process is presented. Part One establishes the current status of American society and education as seen by Alvin Toffler and Peter L. Klinge, the editor. Also, Charles E. Silberman compares the problems of media with those of education. Part Two attempts to clearly define the effects…

As the United States approaches the 25th anniversary of television in households, it is appropriate that more serious attention be given to the effects it is having on the individual, culture, and society. While few individuals expected television to have the immense influence it presently enjoys, it is both surprising and disappointing that…

Psychosocial adaptations are sometimes affected by experiences that are ordinarily considered to be amusements. In 1974, a field study was undertaken by the Program on Psychosocial Adaptation and the Future to determine if it is possible to measure the effect of television on adult viewers. A sample of 260 couples, controlled for demographic…