This study collected behavioral data on the relationship between children's attentiveness to television commercials and their product requests, using the techniques of operant conditioning and direct observation. (SB)

Videotapes of elementary school children watching a standard 15-minute television presentation were analyzed for attention to television, viewing patterns, and alternate activities. Recognition memory of auditory and visual content of the commercials and of the products was tested. Children's behavior during the program and during the commercials…

Pairs of preschool children saw television commercials that varied in formal features (high versus low perceptual salience) and placement in a television show (dispersed through the program versus clustered at the beginning and end). Sixty-four subjects (32 female and 32 male) from a university preschool participated in the study. (Author/RH)

The ability of 3-, 4-, and 5-year-old children to correctly identify videotaped segments as programs or commercials was examined. Results indicate that, when a task requiring minimal verbal response is used, preschoolers demonstrate an awareness of commercials as distinct from programs. (Author/MP)

Presents a cognitive-developmental analysis of the effects of televised, sex-stereotypic information on children's behavior and attitudes towards toy play. Subjects were 100 children, ages four to six divided into groups exhibiting high and low gender-constancy. (Author/CM)