Concludes that perceptions of causes of crime vary markedly depending on which news medium is used most. (FL)

Third and sixth graders were presented a story on television or radio and were then given a version of Torrance's "Just Suppose" test of divergent thinking. Results indicated that--in terms of ideational fluency, flexibility, and originality--the two media did not have a differential effect on children's creativity. (PD)

Found that parents' social class was the best predictor of adolescents' perceptions of the importance of the debates. The best predictor of students' ability to attribute victory to one of the candidates was interpersonal communication prior to and immediately following the telecast. (PD)

Reports on a study undertaken to determine whether status inconsistency (discrepancies within individuals regarding such factors as income, occupation, and education) would contribute additional explanation of variance in attention to public affairs media content beyond the effects of individual status predictors. (GT)

A survey of 93 Mexican American high school seniors revealed no relationship between total use of English-language mass media and academic performance, a negative relationship between grade point average and television use for entertainment, and a positive relationship between grade point average and newspaper use for public affairs information.…

Discusses factors that influence learners' preconceptions of television, the mental effort they invest in processing a video-based lesson, and their achievement. The effects on mental effort and achievement of characteristics of media, the task, and the learners are addressed; and recommendations for future research are offered. (Contains 42…

Presents the results of the UNESCO global study on media violence and children which was conducted between 1996 and 1997. Highlights include the role of the media, media heroes as role models, media violence and aggression, differences by gender, rural versus urban environments, the pervasiveness of television, and recommendations. (Author/LRW)

Presents a study where grade-school children were exposed to a scene from a movie involving one of two activities (either fire- or water-related activities) and involving one of two outcomes (fatal accidents or neutral events). Finds that watching the dramatized accidents increased students' estimated importance of adopting safety guidelines and…

A study tested responses of viewers (as opposed to news organizations and sponsoring firms) to video news releases (VNRs). Subjects, 81 undergraduate students enrolled in an introductory advertising course, viewed a 30-second message about McDonald's and the Big Mac in a VNR format or an advertisement about the Big Mac special "Meal…

A follow-up panel study investigated whether a knowledge differential based on individual educational differences develops in a community, and additionally, whether media use is associated with differential gain in knowledge across education levels. It was hypothesized (1) that education would have a positive effect on public affairs energy…

A study examined the effects of factors (including television, family, peers, age, and socioeconomic status) on consumer socialization, the process by which individuals develop consumption-related cognitions and behaviors. The specific criterion variables studied included consumer affairs knowledge, puffery filtering, consumer finance management,…

By the time SABC TV became operational in January 1976 in South Africa, television had already been firmly established in most overseas countries. Therefore prior to the introduction of television there was the opportunity to do research work to determine the effects of television on society. Between 1974 and 1981 the Institute for Communication…

Thirty-five books and articles about television and sex roles that were published between l954 and l983 are listed in this annotated bibliography. Among the topics covered in the articles and books are female stereotypes, the influence of television on children's perception of sex roles, a survey and summary of the research on sex roles and mass…

A study examined the influence that the United States media have on the values, morality, and traditions of other countries, and more specifically the effects on Korean values of American television as it is broadcast on the U.S. Forces Korean Network. College students in Seoul, Korea (46% male and 54% female with a mean age of 24.6) answered a…

This paper argues that Dwight Eisenhower's use of television in the political campaign in 1956 helped mark the rise of the centralized presidential campaign strategy. To determine the impact of television on this campaign and describe the campaign's inner workings, the paper recounts (1) the Republican dilemma over the use of television and the…