This study examines the messages presented by fictional characters during the family hour, later prime time, and Saturday morning television in the 1975-76 season. Demographic variables of program attributes include type of program--family or medical drama, situation comedy, or action-crime; attributes investigated for the fictional characters…

Thirty-six five- to six-year-old girls viewed one of three television network cartoons, either high or low stereptyped or neutral. They were then tested for sex-role stereotyping on a 24-item measure, each item showing a male and a female and asking a question about them. (JMB)

Results of this study indicate that violent content in comic cartoon programs is recognized as violent by children, and not regarded as merely humorous. (Author/STS)

Presents a taxonomy of formal features of television and examines ways in which these features are used in current productions for children. Coding categories for formal features include action, pace, visual events, and auditory features. Concludes that commercial producers stress formal features as much or more than content. (PD)

Reprint from American Education, August-September 1969.

The degree of reality perception of cartoon and human-fantasy televised episodes was measured in four- and five-year-olds. Five-year-olds had a more mature reality perception than four-year-olds. Only five-year-olds had a more mature reality perception of cartoon than of human fantasy episodes. (Author/RD)

Explores the role children's cartoon programs may play in forming sex role identities in children through the presentation of sex-typed personality attributes of the cartoon characters. Fourteen dependent variables of cartoon character personality were analyzed by sex of the character and sex of the viewer. (JVP)

Analyzes the content of 16 hours of children's cartoon television programs. Finds that (1) all programs contained some violence, but especially those programs linked with toy merchandisers; (2) such programs used more theme music; and (3) few Black characters were shown, whereas males predominated and females were victims more often than were men.…

The problem of sex-role stereotyping on television has been studied by trying to develop television materials that are explicitly counter-stereotypic in terms of sex-roles. The development of a new television series "Freestyle," aimed at 9-12 year old children and their families, has led to some important observations about children's perceptions…

Identified patterns that characterized soap operas, cartoons, and prime-time drama: (1) the predominant form of interaction was dyadic; (2) the most frequent speakers and receivers of messages were males; (3) the most pervasive message was an assertion of dominance; and (4) the concept of power was not sex-linked. (PD)

Finds that male characters outnumbered female characters by a ratio of 2:1, but that female characters enjoyed far greater representation in cartoons produced in Japan than in cartoons produced in the United States and Great Britain. Shows that characters conformed to gender-related stereotypes, with males being more aggressive, rough, sloppy, and…

Uses the violence of "The Road Runner" cartoon series as a starting point for a mythico-rhetorical analysis of the message system contained in the cartoon. Explores how the cartoon re-enacts the myth of Sisyphus in the context of the post-World War II technological boom. Discusses insights into the meanings of cartoon violence, and into…

This study, a part of a larger project, investigated what children learn about gender roles from cartoons and how these cartoons might color the children's view of the world. A total of 89 children ranging in age from four to nine were sampled from three different locations (a university-affiliated day-care center and two parochial schools near…

Trends in the content and structure of television programs and commercials during children's viewing hours on U.S. network television over the past 20 years reveal a steady decrease in educational programs for children and an increase in violent acts. In addition, characters in both programs and commercials have remained remarkably sex-typed. A…

Children's attention to four cartoons was observed in a laboratory session at the end of a two-year longitudinal study of home television viewing. Age (5 or 7), verbal ability (PPVT-R score) and home viewing history were examined as predictors of visual attention. There were no age differences, but PPVT-R scores were positively related to…