Reexamines assumptions about the displacement mechanism, which states that television displaces other activities. Considers strengths and weaknesses of various methodologies used to test the displacement hypothesis. Examines data from an eight-year panel study of the introduction of television to South Africa. Uses a variety of methodologies to…

Media Panel is a research program directed toward media habits, causes and effects of TV use among children and adolescents, and viewer/media interaction in general. Results of this longitudinal study from 1970 to the present are presented in three sections focusing on the early work of the group, the preschool panel, and the primary school panel.…

This report describes the first wave of a research project investigating both the mass media behavior of adolescents in size and character of consumption, and their relations with the TV content consumed. This longitudinal study examines 11- to 15-year-olds through the use of specially developed scales and other traditional measures. Included are…

A comprehensive framework for assigning experimental research in television message design strategies into either production or performer variable categories is developed, research related to each category is reviewed, and suggestions are made for the conception and reporting of continued research. Seventy-nine references are listed. (Author/CHC)

A study was undertaken to investigate, from a uses and gratifications perspective, the effects of serious television drama shown in a foreign country. Specifically, the study examined the impact of "Roots," a highly acclaimed American television drama on slavery, in Great Britain and provided comparisons with the findings of…

Provides examples from six studies to illustrate how the formative research element of the Sesame Workshop production model has been used to create effective educational media in the United States, South Africa, Egypt, and China. Shows how lessons learned from formative studies provide insights into the development of new research methodologies…

C-SPAN (Cable-Satellite Public Affairs Network) can be used for communications oriented research. A research project on reactions in the United States to the Chinese pro-democracy movement shows the use of C-SPAN as a representative forum. Primary funding for the project was obtained through grants from C-SPAN. Twenty-one C-SPAN programs since…

Collection of detailed data on normative overall patterns of television viewer behavior has been an ongoing effort of the Broadcasters' Audience Research Board (BARB) in the United Kingdom. While their measurement system--self-completion viewing diaries in conjunction with electronic meters recording television set use--may register that an…

Reviews research into children's use of television and discusses two studies, one from the United States and one from West Germany, that focus on media in families. A study currently being completed is also described that examines the effect of cable television on children's and adolescents' media use in Austria. (LRW)

Examines research methods and data related to television audiences in the United Kingdom. Topics addressed include defining the concept of an audience, time spent watching television and on other media activities, programs watched, audience composition and program scheduling, ways programing addresses audiences, audience research, audience…

Study of secondary school pupils' reactions to viewing careers education materials in which people were shown in occupations traditionally associated with the opposite sex found that young adolescents viewing counter-stereotyped programs were no less stereotyped in career beliefs. Results are discussed in terms of resilience of sex role in…

Explores the relationship among media consumers, institutional economics, and cultural ethos and suggests that communication researchers must adopt a flexible methodology capable of considering all relevant forces. Uses the case of Norway's broadcasting of the U.S. television series "Dynasty" to help illustrate these premises. (MG)

Discusses methodology, results, and implications of a study testing three hypotheses and investigating perceptions of social, political, and economic conflicts (organized according to complexity, intensity, and solvability) as they occur in society and as portrayed by television news. Findings indicate viewers are able to differentiate between…

Describes a study of undergraduates in the Open University that used qualitative research methods to investigate how students learn with educational television. Results of observations, interviews, and test data are analyzed to determine which program features are important, and the methodology is contrasted with the one used in other studies of…

This paper outlines the writers' views on the domains and goals of media studies in different Australian states, and stresses the need to study the relationship between the media systems, products, and culture. An analytical model for teaching television studies is discussed, the aims of which are to: (1) introduce the study in a manner that will…