Classified primary students in India into light, moderate, and heavy television viewers (controlling for socioeconomic status) and assessed them for either academic performance or cognitive skills, using various instruments. Found no significant differences among groups, but light viewers performed significantly better on oral reading; results may…

Examines the perceptions of elderly viewers about the usefulness of television commercials in making consumer decisions. Variables considered include frequency of viewing, as well as education, race, age, sex, occupation, and income of viewers. Differences in education levels and income seem to be more important than age group. (JMF)

This collection of abstracts is part of a continuing series providing information on recent doctoral dissertations. The 35 titles deal with a variety of topics, including the following: (1) television and scholastic achievement; (2) press freedom and the new world information order; (3) content analysis of Saturday morning children's television…