The Effects of Television on Children: What the Experts Believe

A national survey of mass media scholars was conducted to answer the question, "What impact do you believe television has on children? The 486 scholars' beliefs are provocative, indicate a disparity exists between published empirical reports and the personal beliefs held by scholars and suggests a research agenda for future mass communication research. Perhaps most interestingly, a negative relationship was observed between academic publication and perceived negative consequences of television.