A SURVEY MADE OF EMPIRICAL RESEARCH RELATED TO TELEVISION CONTENT AND EFFECTS ON ADULTS TURNED UP 39 PERTINENT STUDIES WHICH WERE ANALYZED USING FIVE CRITERIA OF ADULT MATURITY, GLEANED FROM THE LITERATURE. OPINIONS OF 44 AMERICAN UNIVERSITY ADULT EDUCATORS REGARDING PROBLEM AREAS NEEDING RESEARCH WERE SOLICITED. IT WAS CONCLUDED THAT TELEVISION IS CAPABLE, THROUGH INFORMATION- OR ORIENTATION-TYPE PROGRAMS, OF HELPING ADULTS TO MATURE. HOWEVER, MUCH OF COMMERCIAL TELEVISION IS DEVOTED TO ESCAPIST DRAMA DEVIATING FROM REALISTIC REPRESENTATION OF EXISTING SOCIAL PROBLEMS AND TO COMMERCIALS LACKING INTEGRITY, WHICH SEEM TO STULTIFY ADULT GROWTH. THERE IS NO EVIDENCE THAT TELEVISION DRAMA CAUSES STEREOTYPING OF ADULT BEHAVIOR. THERE IS A LACK OF PROGRAMS ON LITERARY MASTERPIECES WHICH WOULD CHALLENGE ADULTS' APPRECIATION AND CRITICAL FACULTIES. ALTHOUGH TELEVISION CAN PROMOTE CITIZENSHIP RESPONSIBILITY AND RACIAL TOLERANCE, LITTLE TIME IS DEVOTED TO CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES. TELEVISION PROGRAM EVALUATION SHOULD BE BASED NOT ON RATINGS, BUT ON ITS EFFECT ON THE ADULT VIEWER'S MATURING PROCESS. ADULT EDUCATORS RECOGNIZE A NEED FOR CONTINUING RESEARCH ON TELEVISION TO ENABLE THEM TO PROMOTE ADULT MATURITY VIA TELEVISION. THIS DOCUMENT, LC CARD NO. MIC 60-2850, IS AVAILABLE FROM UNIVERSITY MICROFILMS, ANN ARBOR, MICH. MICROFILM $2.50. XEROX $8.40. 182 PAGES. (AUTHOR/AJ)