This study assesses the influence of exposure to television miniseries "Shogun" on adolescents' knowledge of Japanese language, history, and customs; attitudes of a closer social distance; and Japanese stereotypes. Exposure was a predictor of Japanese language, history, and customs knowledge and a limited predictor of social distance.…

A secondary analysis of four General Social Surveys was performed to determine television's role in reducing social differentiation in the United States. An investigation of the extent to which television is associated with reduction in geographic regional impact on social and political attitudes indicates heavy viewers have more homogeneous…

Develops and tests hypotheses concerning the relationship of different media to psychological outcomes; postulates that print media are related to analytic cognition (reason) and electronic media to syncretic cognition (emotion). Two hundred forty magazine and television advertisements are analyzed in terms of attributes and reactions they invoke.…

Describes a 1981 study that compared uses of U.S. television by foreign children residing in the United States and American children in light of theories of acculturation, cultivation, and uses and gratifications. Children's television viewing is discussed, research methodology is described, and results are analyzed. (22 references) (Author/LRW)

This explication of the role of cognitive processes in fright reactions to mass media stimuli focuses on past experiences as a possible--and important--component in the fear response. Research is reported on development of a measure of the nature of these past experiences. Implications for use are discussed. (MBR)

Describes a study that investigated sex-role stereotyping of occupational roles and the affective behaviors of music-video characters in a random sample of 182 MTV (Music Television) music videos in 1987. Race differences are also examined, and results are reported that suggest that the mass media perpetuates stereotypes. (30 references) (LRW)

An analysis of 43 films produced by children from 7 to 15 years old was performed to develop strategy for investigating how children learn and use symbolic system of film. Anticipated factors were overshadowed by use of commercial television formulas, suggesting strong television influence on development of children's symbolic skills. (MBR)

Reviews literature dealing with perceived reality in the television effects process from a construct validation perspective. Topics discussed include variables that influence the degree to which individuals perceive reality in televised messages, relationships with attribute variables, influence of reality perception on viewers' behavior and…

Analysis of the relationship between undergraduate students' television viewing and their perceptions of personal vulnerability to crime reveals strength and direction of such associations are contingent upon viewer's source of criminal victimization experience, type of prime-time television viewed, and contextual nature of perception of personal…

Most mass media research in Japan focuses on the influence of mass communication on society as a whole; these "macro" theories typically employ traditional social science techniques. Reasons for this situation are examined, as well as how media researchers outside of Japan might learn from the Japanese perspectives about the role and…

Describes study of students in grades 8 through 12 that was conducted to determine the degree to which television messages influence a person's construction of reality (the cultivation hypothesis). Research methodology that tests the effects of television exposure is examined with emphasis on the importance of demographic control variables. (38…

This study examined differential perceptions of men and women as they appear on television (symbolic reality) and in real life (social reality). The marked tendency of television viewers to regard symbolic reality as more stereotypic than social reality for most traits, roles, and occupations was especially true for heavier viewers. (Author/MBR)

A content analysis of major German television news shows and 53 weekly surveys on 16 issues were used to compare linear and nonlinear models as ways to describe the relationship between media coverage and the public agenda. Results indicate that nonlinear models are in some cases superior to linear models in terms of explained variance. (34…

This study examines the influence of duration and amount of soap opera viewing by sixth and seventh graders on their perceptions of relational fragility and importance of talk in managing relationships. Mediating variables of viewing motives, experience with peer relations, and family structure are also examined. (Author/MBR)

This study examined the association between amount of time spent watching television and perceptions of self concept among 102 Black children ranging in age from 7 to 13. A major finding was that television viewing was related positively to the self concepts of girls and unrelated to boys' self concepts. (Author/MBR)