This study reports the results of a national survey of the attitudes of five demographic groups toward freedom of the press. The groups are newsmen, state legislators, high school teachers, high school students, and the general public. The survey is broken into two parts, the first dealing with general principles (e.g., support for a law against…

A study was made to ascertain how large a sample is needed to make media effectiveness decisions which are generalizable to the total educable mentally handicapped (EMH) population. The method employed in the study involved pretesting and posttesting a sample of 70 primary and intermediate EMH children on the content of a filmstrip. Statistical…

This is an initial examination of findings from laboratory and field studies done in Israel on the cognition-cultivating functions of media. The studies reasoned that highly explicit presentations of film-mediated operations can be imitated by observers, and that once imitated, they are internalized and can serve as modified mental skills. Two…

Research in the field of political communication has traditionally reflected a behavioral approach which has focused largely on the influence of mass communication on the public's political behavior. The role of the individual in selecting, interpreting, and processing political information has received significantly less attention. The…

A research project compiled information on the use of free and inexpensive materials in Kansas secondary schools. Forty-six media specialists responded to a questionnaire and checklist and provided data on four topics: 1) selection and acquisition of materials; 2) storage and retrieval systems used in handling materials; 3) subjects and formats of…

A survey conducted with a cross section of the national population produced the following findings. First, not only has television grown to the point where only 2% of American homes receive fewer than three channels, it has also grown in public esteem. It has become the number one source of news and the most credible and frequently used medium. In…

In measuring the characteristics of mass-communication audiences, three dimensions are frequently used: demographics, social class, and psychological characteristics. The author proposes a fourth, "life style," which offers reliable data, is more colorful than demographics and more useful than psychological characteristics. This dimension is…

Past studies of media credibility have yielded contradictory results. In some research, television has the most credibility, while in others, radio or newspapers have the most. A probable reason for this is the way survey questions are phrased. In asking for a "major source of news," some questions focus on the "most likely medium" for news in…

Telecommunications research has been focused mainly on technology. Now research about the human factors is crucial. This can be divided into four areas. (1) The needs telecommunications must satisfy--needs can be extrapolated from current behavior. (2) The technological alternatives available--important developments are being made in transmission…

A study tested two alternative theories about the relation of color and visual learning: that realistic color serves to facilitate retention of instructional material and that all color functions only as a coding device which facilitates storage and retrieval of information. It also tried to discern an interaction between learner IQ and color…

An evaluation was conducted at Northern Virginia Community College to assess the effectiveness of courses in nursing education presented in two distinctly different styles: the traditional lecture method; and a multimedia approach employing textbooks, audiovisual aids, study guides, and lectures. Using State Board of Nursing Examination Scores as…

A series of articles examines visual literacy from the perspectives of definition, research, curriculum, and resources. Articles examining the definition of visual literacy approach it in terms of semantics, techniques, and exploratory definition areas. There are surveys of present and potential research, and a discussion of the problem of…

The utility of the pretraining of task-relevant cognitive skills within the context of experimental research methodology was investigated in this study. A criterion referenced pretraining multi-media product was developed and applied to support the initial phase of an experimental research effort in which several instructional methods for training…

Addresses the implicit assumption that instructional media represent meaningful experimental variables independent of instructional content or strategy. Results of computer-based instruction (CBI) studies (both well-designed and flawed) and meta-analyses are reviewed to support the authors' position that this assumption is invalid, and new…

An analysis of 43 films produced by children from 7 to 15 years old was performed to develop strategy for investigating how children learn and use symbolic system of film. Anticipated factors were overshadowed by use of commercial television formulas, suggesting strong television influence on development of children's symbolic skills. (MBR)