Describes the promotion and public relations campaign and sale of commercial time by the American Broadcasting Corporation for "The Day After," a movie depicting nuclear holocaust, and discusses Nielsen Company findings and a J. Walter Thompson USA audience analysis and reaction survey regarding the program and its advertisers. (MBR)

Describes television production techniques used to convey nonverbal messages to viewers (laugh tracks, flashbacks, zooms to close-ups, voice-overs, time continuity) and presents selections from interviews with five- to nine-year-old children to demonstrate that the understanding of these telegenic nonverbals is a learned phenomenon. Implications…

Discusses the increasing number of children viewing soap operas and reviews research findings of a study of third, fourth, and fifth graders' soap opera viewing habits in relation to motivation, age, gender, and what children learn about relationships from viewing. Parental mediation and further research needs are also discussed. (MBR)

Traces historical development of soap operas and presents results of surveys conducted with college students to determine how viewing affects their behavior, attitudes, and beliefs. Results indicate students neither seek nor take advice from soap operas whereas early radio soap opera listeners sought practical explanations of appropriate behavior…

Discusses problems posed by television violence; how behavioral and social scientists became interested in television violence and its effects on children; how psychologists study relationships between television violence and behavior; how television violence can be counteracted by television industry, parents, and educators; and results from the…