The Effects of Television on Children and Adolescents
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REPOR TRESUMES ED 027 ilri EM 006 167 THE EFFECTS OF TELEVISION ON CHILDREN ANDADOLESCENTS. AN ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY WITH AN OVERVIEW OF RESEARCHRESULTS. REPORTS AND PAPERS ON MASS COMMUNICATION. BY- SCHRAMM, WILBUR UNITED NATIONS EDUCATIONAL SCIENTIFIC AND CULT.ORG REPORT NUMBER RPMC-43 PUB DATE 64 FORS PRICE MF.40.25 HC-$2.26 55P. DESCRIPTORS- *BEHAVIORAL SCIENCE RESEARCH,EXPERIMENTS, SURVEYS, FILMS, *TELEVISION VIEWING, *LITERATUREREVIEWS, LEARNING, LEISURE TIME, *ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHIES,*CHILDREN, ADOLESCENTS, THIS ANNOTATED INTERNATIONAL BIBLIOGRAPHYINCLUDES AN OVERVIEW OF RESEARCH ON THE EFFECTS OF TELEVISIONAND CITES STUDIES ON EFFECTS ON LEISURE TIME, AND LEARNING' AND PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS. INFORMATION ON AVAILABILITYOF UNESCO COUPONS FOR THE PURCHASE OF THE PUBLICATIONS LISTED,AND THE DOCUMENT ITSELF, MAY BE OBTAINED FROM UNSECO, PLACECE FONTENOY, PARIS 7, FRANCE, OR FROM NATIONAL DISTRIBUTORSOF UNESCO PUBLICATIONS. COST IS $0.7:. (LH) C)t.4 asa0ECU)co a.a 0 (I) EEUco 43No. onof Unesco EM and The 006187 childrentelevisioneffects1-10)4d adolescents a This series of Reports and Papers on MassCommunication is issued by the Mass Communication Techniques Division of Unesco. Unless otherwisestated, the reports may reproduced in full or in part, providedcredit is given to Unesco. The following reportsand papers have so far been issued and are obtainable from NationalDistributors of Unesco Publications or fromthe Mass Communication Techniques Division, Unesco,Place de Fontenoy, Paris-7e. REPORTS AND PAPERS ON MASS COMMUNICATION Number 11 Paper for Printing (other thanNewsprint) and Writing -1929.1931 Trends. March 1954(out of print). 12 Paper for Printing and Writing -Tentative Forecastl of Demand in 1955. 1960 and 1965.April 1954 (out of print) . 13 Tentative international Bibliography ofWorks Dealing with Press Problems (1900-1932).September 1954 (out of print). 14 Catalogues of Short Films andFilmstrips - Selected List. February 1955 ($0.40;2/- (Stg.); 1 F). 15 Catalogue of French EthnographicalFilms. May 1955 (S0.40 ;2/- (Stg.);I F, 16 Television and Tele-Clubs in RuralCommunities . July 1955 ($0.40 ; 2/- (Sig.)* 0,50 F). 17 International Rules for theCataloguing of Educational, Scientific and CulturalFilms and Filmstrips. Preliminary edition, May 1956 (out of print). Filmstrips. May 1956 ($0.40; (Stg.); 1 F). 18 A Manual for Evaluators of Films and Selection made in 22 Countries. 19 List of Films Recommended forChildren and Adolescents up to 16 Years T'ollowing June 1956 (out of print). 20 Catalogue of 50 PopularScience Films. July 1956 (out of print). 21 Current Mass CommunicationResearch 1 - Bibliography of Books and Articles onMass Communication Published since 1 January 1955. December 1956 ($1; 5/-(Stg.); 2,50 F). 22 Periodicals for New Literates :Editorial Methods, June 1957 ($0.753/6 (Stg.); 1,50 F). 23 Cultural Radio Broadcasts.Some Experiences. December 1956($0.40; 2/- (Stg.); 119. 24 Periodicals for New Literates. SevenCase Histories. November 1957 ($15/- (Stg.) ;3 F). 25 Adult Education Groupsand Audio-Visual Techniques. 1958 ($0.75 ; 3/6eStg.); 2F). 26 The Kinescope and AdultEducation. 1958 (S0.75; 3/6 (Stg.) ;2 F). 27 Visual Aids in FundamentalEducation and Community Development. 1959 ($0.75;3/6 (Stg.); 2,50 F). 28 Film Programmes for theYoung. 1959 (out of print). 29 Film-making on a Low Budget. 1960 (outof print). 30 Developing Mass Media in Asia. 1960 ($1.50;7/6 (Stg.); 5,25 F). 31 The Influence of the Cinema onChildren and Adolescents. An AnnotatedInternational Bibliography. 1961 ($1.50; 7/6 (Stg.); 5,25 F). 32 Film and Television in the Serviceof Opera and Ballet and of Museums. 1961(out of print). 33 Mass Media in the Developing Countries.A Unesco Report to the United Nations. 1961($0.50 ; 2/6 (Stg.); 1,75 F). 34 Fiim Production by International Co-operation.1961 ($0.50; 2/6 (Stg.) 1,75 F). 35 World Film Directory. Agencies Concernedwith Educational, Scientificand Cultural Films. 1962($1; 5/-(Stg.);3,50 F). 36 Methods of Encouraging the Production andDistribution of Short Films for TheatricalUse. 1962. ($0.50; 2/6 (Stg.); 1,75 F). 37 Developing Information Media in Africa.Press, Radio, Film, Television. 1962 ($1;5/- (Stg.); 3,50 F). 38 Social Education through Television,1963 ($0.50; 2/6 (stg.); 1,75). 1963 ($1 ; 5/- (stg.); 3,50 F). 39 The Teaching Film in Primary Education, 1963 ($0.50 ; 40 Study of the Establishment of National Centresfor Cataloguing of Films and TelevisionProgrammes , 2/6 (stg.); 1,75 F). 41 Space Communication and the Mass Media,1964 ($0.50; 2/6 (stg.); 1,75 F). 42 Screen education Teaching a criticalapproach to cinema and television 1964 ($1.00; 5/- (stg.);3,50 F. Printed in France MC .64.XVII.43 A Printed in the Workshops of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and CulturalOrganization Place de Fontenoy, Patis-7e C' UNESCO 1964 The effects of television onchildren and adolescents An annotated bibliography with an introductory overview of research results Prepared by The International Association for Mass Communication Research, Amsterdam Editor, Wilbur Schramm, Director, Institute for Communication Research, Stanford University, U.S.A. U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, EDUCATION & WELFARE OFFICE OF EDUCATION THIS DOCUMENT HAS BEEN REPRODUCED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED FROM THE PERSON OR ORGANIZATION ORIGINATING IT.POINTS OF VIEW OR OPINIONS STATED DO NOT NECESSARILY REPRESENT OFFICIAL ()FREE OF EDUCATION POSITION OR POLICY. Unesco PREFACE Following the publication by Unesco, in 1961,of an annotated international bibliography on "The influence of the Cinema on Children andAdolescents " (Series : Reports and Papers on Mass Communication, No. 31), it wasdecided to produce a companion volumedealing with television. It was felt that the preparation of thisbibliography might appropriately be undertaken bythe International Association for Mass CommunicationResearch, and accordingly Unesco made a contract with that internationalnon-governmental organization for this work.In turn, the IAMCR placed responsibility for editing thebibliography with one of its members, Dr. WilburSchramm. Attention should perhaps be drawn here to theForeword, which sets out the criteria under which, as agreed with IAMCR, items wereselected. In particular, this bibliography aims at restricting itself to articles orsbehavioural research, that is to saypublications in which the conclusions are based on experiment, survey orclinical study dealing with human behaviour. This is a narrower basis cf choice than wasused in the earlier bibliography onthe cinema, since it is intended to excludecommentaries, however excellent,which derive from personal opinion rather than from scientific evidence. No bibliography dealing with such arapidly-developing medium as television canpretend to be exhaustive or definitive; but it is hopedthat, despite any limitations in this respect,the present publication will serve notmerely to provide useful information butwill also stimulate others to supply relevant material which maybe of use should an edition at a laterdate be found necessary. Finally,it is pointed out that Dr.Schramm and the International Association forMass Commu- nication Research were responsible forthe selection and presentation of thematerial in this publication and that any opinions expressed arethose of the MMCR and its editor, and not necessarily those of Unesco. TABLE OF CONTENTS Foreword 5 What the Research Says - A Brief Overview 7 The Bibliography I Bibliographies and Summaries 17 A.Television 17 B.Related Studies of Film 17 II Large General Studies of Children and Television 19 III Patterns of Children's Use of the Media, and Effects on their Leisure Time 22 A.Television 22 B.Related Studies of Other Media 29 IV Learning from Television and Film 31 A.Television 31 B.Related Studies of Film 33 V Psychological Effects - in General 35 A.Television 35 B.Related Studies of Other Media 36 VI Effects of Violence and Aggression 41 A.Psychological Effects 41 B.Relationship to Delinquency and Crime 45 C.Studies of Violent Content 47 VII Effects on Maladjusted and Disturbed Children 48 A.Television 48 B.Related Studies of Film 48 VIII Physical Effects 49 Periodicals mentioned in the Bibliography 51 Index of Authors and Sources 53 FOREWORD The bibliography which follows is intended to repre- between us and the scholar who did read it. There sent all the significant behavioural research dealing may even have been some misunderstanding as to with the effect of television on children. the kind of material to be included. ..t is a difficult We have defined behavioural research as experi- undertaking, of course, to make an international ment, survey, or clinical study dealing with human. bibliography, and a much more difficult one to make behaviour. Therefore, we have not included articles an international annotated bibliography which will of criticism and commentary not based on research. be complete and accurate. We therefore solicit Many of the critical articles, of course, are rich corrections and additions from scholars in all in wisdom and insight.But in the last decade a countries who feel that such should be made. phenomenal number of persons have set down on The reader may wonder why we have included a paper their thoughts on television; and to separate number of film studies in this television bibliography. out the wise and insightful statements from the We have done so because we considered them per- others would require a set of personal judgements tinent.The experience of viewing television, of that would inevitably be questioned and could not course, differs from that of viewing films in the easily be defended. On the other hand, there is immediacy and timeliness of the experience, and little difference of opinion about the standards of in the fact that it usually takes place in the home scientific investigation. By requiring that an article rather than the theatre, and alone or in a small or a book reflect at least elementary standards of group rather than in a large audience. But on the scientific research we have been able to separate other hand there are more likenesses than differ- out the kind of knowledge about television's effect ences between the two experiences.