Special interests (SIs) are part of the diagnostic criteria for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Though they can have both positive and negative effects on functioning and long-term outcomes, research on SIs is limited. This pilot study used a newly developed parent-report measure, the "Special Interest Survey," to characterize SIs in…

Background: Capturing the views of people with learning disabilities is not straightforward. Talking Mats® has been used successfully to solicit the views of such individuals. The aim was to co-produce an interview schedule using Talking Mats® on the subject of television-viewing habits and preferences of adults and young people with learning…

This pilot study investigated how engagement with computer games and TV exposure may affect behaviors of gifted students. We also compared behavioral and cognitive profiles of twice-exceptional students and children with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Gifted students were divided into those with behavioral problems and those…

This study investigated the effects of exposure to pseudoscientific television (TV) programs upon Taiwanese citizens' pseudoscientific beliefs. The beliefs and practices of pseudoscience portrayed in the media may misguide the citizens in making life choices that may lead to negative consequences. Participants of this study included 2,024…

This study explored whether a hip-hop dance program was associated with improved well-being for adolescents living in a multicultural, socio-economically disadvantaged urban community in Ottawa. Sixty-seven youths between 11 and 16 years of age participated in a 13-week program. A primarily qualitative approach was used to assess perceived impact…

The goals of this Pennsylvania Public Television Network (PPTN) project were to define target audiences, assess program impact, and utilize this information in making programming and promotion decisions. This audience research study was originally conceived as a 3-step program: (1) ascertaining audience size and composition, (2) characterizing and…

SURVEY AND TESTING TECHNIQUES USED BY THE BRITISH BROADCASTING CORPORATION IN THE YEARS 1952-63 TO ANSWER QUESTIONS OF INTEREST TO TELEVISION PLANNERS INDICATE METHODOLOGY FOR FUTURE PLANNING RESEARCH. TO ANSWER THE BASIC QUESTION--WHAT PEOPLE ARE AVAILABLE FOR WATCHING AND LISTENING--BBC USED THE METHOD OF HAVING 2981 MEMBERS OF A NATIONAL SAMPLE…

This paper deals with television viewing behavior in blacks. Research on viewing behavior and the effects of this medium on blacks is relatively scant. Some of the questions that precipitated this research are: (1) What are the effects of repeated exposure to violent episodes on blacks' capacities to respond to each others' needs? and (2) What…

Reported in this document are findings from an evaluation of three kinds of prosocial children's programming broadcasted by the NBC network during the 1980-81 season. The prosocial programmings evaluated were "Drawing Power,""Play Alongs," and "How to Watch TV". The primary goals of the study, as stated by NBC, were…

Discusses the use of microcomputer-based testing methods in media and community research, with descriptions of the Programme Evaluation Analysis Computer (PEAC) developed for the Ontario Education Communications Authority and of the application of the PEAC system in a study of second-by-second responses to Orson Welles'"War of the…

A PILOT PROJECT FOR TEACHING OBSERVATIONAL SKILLS WAS CONDUCTED, USING FOUR PLANS OF OBSERVATION--DIRECT CLASSROOM OBSERVATION ("DO") ONLY, VIDEOTAPE TELEVIEWING ("TV") ONLY, "DO" FOLLOWED BY "TV," AND "TV" FOLLOWED BY "DO." COLLEGE STUDENTS ENROLLED IN A TEACHER EDUCATION COURSE WERE…

Former Baltimore cop and teacher Ed Burns isn't a masochist. The writer-producer for "The Wire," a critically applauded HBO series about life and death on the streets of Baltimore, is just feverishly trying to save public schools. He thinks American education is hopelessly screwed up, but that it's also the country's only hope. So it…

The overall aim of the two school-based pilot studies was to evaluate whether an approach to prevention that focused on changing child impulse control, decision making, and social competence can be effective in changing attitudes toward food intake and physical activity as risk factors for obesity. The strategy used was to translate specific…

This pilot study examines how a married couple with a small child integrates a 10 p.m. television news program into their weekday lives. The research focuses on how patterns of behaviors extend into television viewing, rather than how television programming influences beliefs, values, and behaviors. Ethnographic methods employed in the observation…