Children are exposed to aggression and social stereotypes through the actions, words and demeanor of entertainment characters on television. They are socialized through the three stage observational learning process of exposure, acquisition, and acceptance. Research supports the statement that all television is educational television. (BJG)

Observational learning requires exposure to modeling cues, acquisition of the ability to reproduce what is seen or heard, and acceptance of the model's behavior as a guide for one's own actions, as imitation, counter-imitation, disinhibition, or inhibition. In this overview paper, the author considers a large body of research, especially that…

This paper describes the production of three 30-second prosocial television spots and the evaluation of the effects of these spots on children's behavior. The psychological process of observational learning was used to conceptualize the way television viewing influences children's behavior; the three stages of observational learning (exposure,…

Pattern of results is discussed in terms of the conceptualization that imitation required both that the observer (1) has acquired and retained the model's responses and (2) has been placed in circumstances which favor activating this learning into overt performance. (Authors)

The effects of a common dimension within a model's performance on different aspects of observational learning were examined in two experiments. Subjects were 220 second-grade children. (Author/MP)