Reporting on a pilot study of urban junior high students, this report examines the way young people acquire perceptions of their own and other nations and attempts to identify the sources of those ideas. This action research approach used a survey research instrument with a 20-item semantic differential form to measure students' knowledge of and judgments about the United States, Canada, and Russia. In this 1991-92 pilot study, a convenience sample of 163 New York metropolitan area middle and secondary school students were sampled for response to the survey. Analysis of responses showed that the majority of students saw the United States in a relatively more favorable light than Canada or Russia. Questions for each country addressed the topics of demographics, politics, and ethics. Students tended to view Russia the most negatively but did seem to show an understanding of the many problems faced by the changes occurring in that nation. Television, newspapers, and teachers were reported as the most important sources of knowledge for the students' acquisition of their perceptions. The implications for social studies education are explored. Contains 16 references. (EH)