Tested the idea that exposure to television people could affect children's judgments of a real person introduced after watching television. Found that television can prime traits and provide a frame of reference for use in encoding new information about people. (PD)

Examines current research on the role of television in children's learning. Assesses evidence that television can play a positive teaching role and suggests a model for evaluating television's impact on viewers. Concludes that current programing limits the positive effects of television on children's learning. (JMF)

Assesses children's cognitive and emotional responses to negative emotions in family-formatted situation comedies. Tests children from two grade levels who viewed a sitcom that featured negative emotions. Reveals that inclusion of a humorous subplot distorted perceptions. Discusses children's social learning from television. (PA)

Discusses parent-child interactions in which the content of television programing appears as explicit subject matter. Examines ways in which a child's development may be affected by these parent-child interactions. (JMF)