Maternal Quality Standards for Children's Television Programs

On the basis of telephone interviews carried out among a random sample of mothers with children between three and 12 years of age (n = 357), this study investigated the standards mothers use to evaluate the quality of four types of children's television programs: cartoons, news programs for children, educational children's programs, and dramatic children's programs. A factor analysis resulted in a list of seven types of quality standards that, in mothers' eyes, children's programs should satisfy. The three quality standards mothers considered most important for children's programs were: (a) comprehen‐sibility, (b) aesthetic quality, and (c) elicitation of involvement. Additional standards were: (d) entertainment, (e) innocuousness (absence of detrimental effects), (f) credibility, and (g) presence of role models. According to mothers, credibility was a standard that should be fulfilled primarily by news and educational programs for children. For news programs, aesthetic quality, entertainment, and the presence of role models were thought to be minor considerations. Less‐educated mothers were more concerned about the entertainment value of children's programs than better‐educated mothers. As compared to mothers with older children, mothers with younger children were more likely to consider innocuousness important, and to view credibility as unimportant in children's programs.