This study measured the effects on children's behavior of peer influence and prosocial and antisocial television messages. The subjects, 120 children in second, third, and fourth grades, were placed in three different situations: one in which no television was viewed, one in which an excerpt from a television program portraying violence was viewed, and one in which an excerpt from a television program with a prosocial message was viewed. For each of the three viewing situations, four variables of peer influence were tested: no peers present, peers present but silent, peers encouraging prosocial behavior, and peers encouraging antisocial behavior. Analysis of the findings indicated that the highest level of prosocial responses occurred in the group seeing the prosocial television segment with peers encouraging the prosocial response and that the lowest level of prosocial responses occurred in the group seeing the antisocial television segment with peers encouraging the antisocial response. (Author/GW)