Reviews the scientific and public-opinion debate on the impact television violence in America has on aggression and violence. Research supports the view that television violence contributes to children's level of aggressiveness and subsequent violence and criminality. Describes attempts to improve the quality of television programming for children…

A ten-year study of television viewing and content found that middle level students watch more television than any other age group. They are exposed to violence, sex, use of drugs, and sex role socialization in many programs. Schools can help students become discriminating consumers of television. (MLF)

Contrasts the demographic properties--gender, race, and age--of the perpetrators and receivers of antisocial and prosocial acts on prime-time network television. Concludes that antisocial activity has declined and that a White, middle-class male is now most likely to be the perpetrator or recipient. (MM)

Presents a content analysis of the prosocial and aggressive content of a sample of child-oriented television commercials and compares the results with a similarly conducted study of child-oriented television programs. (JVP)

Tested hypotheses that action/adventure characters are perceived by teenagers as likely to engage in antisocial conflict resolution; situation comedy/family drama characters, in prosocial modes. Also tested was hypothesis that, as favorite character's perceived use of a mode increases, so does the viewer's intention to use the same mode. (SW)

Analyzes the manner in which prosocial behaviors are currently presented on entertainment television, including various categories of prosocial behavior in a detailed profile of a sample week of prime-time television, and seeks to determine positive behaviors performed, frequency, program types, time slot, which networks, and by what character…

Content-analyzes prime time television to determine the frequency of certain contexts in which prosocial activity is portrayed. Finds that prime time television continues to portray a great deal of prosocial content presented in prosocial contexts. (RS)

Analyzes primetime commercial television content showing that heroes, villains, and secondary characters are almost always being rewarded or justified when commiting antisocial acts, frequently portrayed as being internally motivated. The context is also portrayed as very antisocial. (SD)

When parents were sent television viewing guides listing (1) programs containing violent or otherwise antisocial behaviors, or (2) programs containing positive, prosocial behaviors, both groups of parents discouraged their children from watching some of the antisocial programs. Viewing guides sent to a third group, listing both antisocial and…

A collection of quotations drawn from research and opinion papers dealing with the impact of television viewing on children. Subtopics addressed are: television viewing statistics, effects of television violence, and the relationship of television to education. (JJD)

Examines the parental disciplinary practices under which children's modeling of prosocial television portrayals are likely to be maximized and minimized. Two types of enduring parental styles of discipline--induction and sensitization--were used in gathering data from a field survey which employed mother-child pairs. (Author/DST)

A study of the effects of television drama on learning of prosocial and antisocial behavior analyzes programs in terms of sex of the actor, apparent motivation for the actor's behavior, and portrayed importance of the action. Results show that the effects on viewers differ according to their sex. (EAO)

Observes that the influence of television and media violence on children's behavior is of concern to many people. Examines research related to the influence of such violence on children's behavior and to teaching about the differences between television and real-life violence. Makes suggestions for dealing with this concern. (DSK)