A NEW LOOK AT TELEVISION VIEWING AND ADULT VOCABULARY

An analysis of a multiyear General Social Survey data set supports pre vious findings (Gaddy 1986; Gortmaker et al. 1990) that, with rigorous controls in place, the negative correlation between television viewin g and achievement disappears. Results of a hierarchical regression pro cedure reveal that television viewing is not a significant predictor o f adult vocabulary, over and above demographic variables and newspaper readership. But the findings suggest that new methods of measuring te levision consumption may be needed. Based on 1993 GSS data, the analys is reveals that frequent viewing of certain types of television progra mming is related positively and significantly to adult vocabulary scor es. The finding highlights the need for new methods of measuring telev ision consumption, for the traditional hours-per-day method of measuri ng television viewership may be preventing researchers from understand ing the true relationship that exists between television and learning.