Examines the relationship of preschool children's visual attention to the presence of 37 visual and auditory attributes of television programs. Attributes included the use of puppets, women, and children, auditory changes, peculiar voices, movement, cuts, sound effects, laughter, applause, adult male voices, extended zooms and pans, eye contact,…

Investigates the effects of various programing strategies, commonly employed by the television networks, on program popularity for children. Strategies include counterprograming by type, block programing by type, inheritance effects, starting time, program familiarity, and character familiarity. Confirms the effects of starting time and program…

Investigates age differences in children's processes of simultaneously comprehending the auditory and visual content of a televised story. Reports a developmental increase in utilizing semantic content of both auditory and visual content to form a unified representation of narrated events. (MM)

Examines current research on the role of television in children's learning. Assesses evidence that television can play a positive teaching role and suggests a model for evaluating television's impact on viewers. Concludes that current programing limits the positive effects of television on children's learning. (JMF)

Tested the effectiveness of ridicule as an educational and social corrective in children's educational television programs. Found that ridicule is a potent means of educating six-year-old television viewers but is far less satisfactory in motivating four-year-olds to action or in deterring their unwanted performances. (PD)

Findings indicate that the language of characters from children's television programs, both educational and commercial, is clearly gender-differentiated, producing attributions that are consistent with sex-role stereotypes. (PD)