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)

Several studies were conducted where subjects were not instructed to imitate models. Subjects viewing models exhibiting complex, flexible, divergent, or creative behavior tended to increase this behavior, while subjects watching rigid or convergent thinking models were less consistent. (Author/BJG)

Peer interactions are important in the socialization of aggression, sex-role learning, and the internalization of moral values, and contribute to the development of cognitive and language skills. Evidence is presented to support the contention that peer modeling is among the most powerful social influences to which children are exposed.…

Traditional learning theories stress that people are either conditioned through reward and punishment or by close association with neutral or evocative stimuli. These direct experience theories do not account for people's learning complex behavior through observation. Attentional, retention, motoric reproduction, reinforcement, and motivational…