Family Perceptions of Television Viewing Habits

The purpose of this study was to determine the television viewing habits of families during prime time television hours and the perceptions of family members with regard to viewing habits. Twenty-four mother-father-child triads were interviewed individually to determine television viewing patterns over a four-evening period. The children ranged in age from 3 to 6.6 years. A measure of concordance indicated the extent of agreement between family members on co-viewing habits. Both boys and girls were found to be more concordant with their fathers than with their mothers. Age differences were not significant for either sex. In addition, data on and implications of family activities while watching television are reported.