What Do Parents Observe about Parenting from Prime Time Television

and children's responses to those roles and patterns. Results indicated that relatively large numbers of parenting behaviors were being shown in the programs viewed. Television fathers were somewhat more active as parents than were mothers and both mothers and fathers were portrayed in traditional ways, even though many more nontraditional than traditional family structures were represented. Television children responded differently to performance of parental roles and to child rearing patterns according to sex of the television parent. Several recommendations were made for parent and family life education and further related research based on the findings.