DOES TELEVIZED DRINKING INFLUENCE CHILDRENS ATTITUDES TOWARD ALCOHOL

Fifth and sixth grade children randomly assigned to experimental and control groups saw videotaped television programs in which the drinking of alcoholic beverages by the principal characters appeared in the experimental condition but not the control condition. Parents'' drinking and home television watching were similar for both groups. Immediately after viewing the television programs, the children completed alcohol attitude and subjective expected utility (SEU) questionnaires. There were no significant differences in attitudes or SEU scores with one exception. Among boys only, those who saw the film with drinking were significantly more likely to respond that the good things about alcohol are more important than the bad things. Further research into the potential effects on children of drinking on television serials is indicated.