The chapters speculate about the problems of doing research on television, about the contributions particular perspectives might make to the study of television, and about directions that might prove productive for television research. Several chapters look at broad issues in studying television. Three models for social behavior -- previously not used in television research -- are presented, and the many complex variables in researching the nature of mass media effects are discussed. One essay probes the relationships among television, its audiences, its suppliers, and its researchers, while another examines the organizational context of the television industry. A review traces the events subsequent to the Surgeon General's 1972 report on television violence; one chapter presents a conceptual model of the interdependence among the television industry, other social institutions, and its audience. Six additional chapters focus on narrower and more concrete issues: they address the topic of television's impact on decisionmaking for young people, discuss the effects of television on a child's limited understanding of the medium, and examine the results of television's portrayal of blacks. The concluding chapter presents a summarizing view of television. Appendixes include discussion of a proposed violence profile for television, reports of study groups on entertainment and ethnicity, and a description of programs cited. Chapter notes and references and author and subject indexes are provided. (Author summary modified)