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Television and Social Behavior
Television program content, viewer characteristics, and viewing context can have a measurable impact on viewer behavior. Conside rable attention has especially been paid to the effects of violent and antisocial content, and research has centered on the potential negative effects on children. Out of con cern about the effect of mass media portrayal of violence and its potential inducement of aggressive behavior in children, in 1972 the U.S. Surgeon General's Committee on Television and Social Behavior released a multivolume report on research on the impact of television on children. Because many studies showed a positive correlation, research on television effects continues to be a focus of social scientists and public concern.
The social behavior of adults is not immune to television effects. Dramas, comedies, and advertisement ...