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AN INVESTIGATEQN Q? THE
HfiOE—MATEGN LEVEL AND AWETUBES
0F THE UNDERGRADUATE
TEmVSSEON‘RADEO STUQEN'FS AT
ixéifiHEGAN NATE QNWERMTY

Thesis {09‘ The Degree of M. A.
EECHEGEN STATE UKWERSETY

Lowe’zl L. Turner

3.967

 

      
    

L I B R A R Y
Michigan Stan:
University

 

ABSTRACT

AN INVESTIGATION OF THE INFORMATION LEVEL AND ATTITUDES
OF THE UNDERGRADUATE TELEVISION-RADIO STUDENTS
AT MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY

by Lowell L. Turner

This thesis was prompted by a question in a graduate
seminar regarding the characteristics of the undergraduate
students enrolled in the Television-Radio Department.

Further pursuit of the question revealed that very little

was known about the attitudes of the undergraduate Television-
Radio major toward his chosen profession. Even less was

known about the role played by knowledge of the field in
creating these attitudes.

Several questions were postulated about the knowledge
and attitudes of these students. This study has attempted
to answer these questions. The first question concerned how
much the students actually knew about the duties and working
conditions of specific jobs within the profession. A second
question was whether or not the students' information concern-
ing the profession corresponded with recognized fact. After
the information level of the students had been measured, the
performance of the different groups, classified by previous

professional experience and class standings, was compared.

Lowell L. Turner

The study further investigated the attitudes of the
students toward the broadcasting professions. The attitudes
were first measured to see how they varied, again in regard
to class standing and previous professional experience.

A final comparison was made between the different groups'
performance on both information level and attitude scales.

The measurement instrument used was designed by the
author for this thesis. The instrument consisted of two
parts: one part designed to test the students' knowledge of
the duties and working conditions in television and radio
professions, the other part was a seven point summated rating
scale designed to measure student attitude toward certain
facets of the broadcasting professions.

The information used in constructing the scale designed
to test student knowledge was selected from data obtained
from government and professional publications. After submit-
ting the selected data to a panel of broadcast educators, a
final selection of material was made.

The attitude scale represents an attempt to effectively
cover as many different areas of professional broadcasting
as possible, using twenty statements.

The findings of the study indicate that the undergraduate
Television-Radio student does well on a test over information
concerning employment and working conditions in the profes—
sions. Further, these students have a moderate, positive

attitude toward the professions.

Lowell L. Turner

The data also suggest that the Television-Radio Depart-
ment has successfully corrected any misinformation possessed
by students entering the department.

One important possibility for further research was
especially evident. The data gathered in this study seem
to indicate an inverse relationship between what a person
knows about a profession and how he views it. In other words,
the more a person knows about a profession, the lower his
opinion of that profession is likely to be. One possible
explanation of this finding is that the students may possess
unrealistically high expectations when entering the Television-
Radio program. It has often been observed by the faculty
members of this department that many students are attracted
by the glamour associated with broadcasting.

Since these findings were derived from data collected
only in the Television—Radio Department, further research
ought to be conducted in other professionally oriented depart-
ments to see if there may be parallel information supporting

this conclusion.

AN INVESTIGATION OF THE INFORMATION LEVEL AND ATTITUDES
OF THE UNDERGRADUATE TELEVISION-RADIO STUDENTS

AT MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY

BY

Lowell L. Turner

A THESIS

Submitted to
Michigan State UniverSity
in partial fulfillment of the requirements
for the degree of

MASTER OF ARTS

Department of Television and Radio

1967

we

J

0?

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Seldom can one person take all of the credit due for the
production of a thesis. Although my name appears on the
cover, others shared greatly in the creation of this paper.

I would like to take these few sentences to give hearty thanks
to those individuals who have helped me so much.

First of all, I owe a debt of gratitude to the members
of the faculty of the Television—Radio Department at Michigan
State. These men gave me their full encouragement and co-
Operation. A special thanks is given to Dr. Tom Baldwin whose
help and counsel were so valuable to me when I first entered
the department and during the production of this thesis.

Another note of thanks is directed to my friend Roger
Bauer. Roger very kindly devoted a considerable amount of his
time to do a painstaking job of editing this thesis, a job
for which he is well qualified.

There is always one special individual to whom much is
owed. In my case, this person sowed the seed of a suggestion,
whose fruit was this thesis. And so for invaluable advice,
guidance, and encouragement, I would like to express my sin-

cere gratitude to my friend and advisor, Dr. Gordon Gray.

ii

Finally, I would like to thank that person to whom this
work is dedicated; whose love and understanding have provided
unfailing support for me and for my work. That person is

none other than my wife, Joyce.

iii

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

LIST OF TABLES O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O 0

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . .

CHAPTER

I. THE

1.1

1.2

II. THE
2.1

2.2

III. THE

(NCNCNCNCNUJOJCN
CDN'IOUUTI'P‘CJJNH

APPENDIX .

QUESTION 0 o o o o o o o o o o o o o

The Problem 1 . . . . . . . . . . .
Hypotheses and Definitions. . . . .

INVESTIGATION. . . . . . . . . . . .

The Test Instrument . . . . . . . .
The Data Collection . . . . . . . .

FINDINGS . . . . . . . ... . . . . .

The Composition of the Tested Group
Information Level, Results. . . . .
Information Level, Findings . . . .
Attitude Scale, Results . . . . . .
Sources of Negative Attitude. . . .
Attitude Scale, Findings. . . . . .
Student Employment Expectations . .
Recommendations for Future Study. .

BIBLImRAPPN . O O O O O O O O O O O C O O C O 0

iv

Page

ii

vi

-15

15
18

21

21
21
26
29
32
34
35
58

4O

49

TABLE

2.1.

2.2.
2.5.

5.1.

LIST OF TABLES

A seven point summated rating scale showing
a'negative orientation toward automobile 7

driving. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The number and percent of students tested. .

The comparison of mean grade point averages.

The number of students tested, by class and
experience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

A comparison of the mean information level
scores of the three experience groups. . . .

A comparison of the mean information level
scores of the four class groups. . . . . . .

A comparison of group performance on infor-
mation level question number 18. . . . . . .

A comparison of group mean information level
scores 0 O O O O O O 0 O O O O O O O C O O O

The tabulated means of performance on the
attitude scale 0 O O O O 0 O O O O O O O O 0

Student employment expectations after gradu-
ation. O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O 0

Student employment aSpirations after ten years

experience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Page

16
19
20

21

22

25

26

27

5O

56

57

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

FIGURE Page

1.1. A comparison of the hypothesized curve with
the normal S-curve. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

1.2. A comparison of the three hypothesized infor-
mation level curves of each experience sub-
group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

1.5. The hypothesized attitude curve, demonstrat-
ing the “Horseshoe Effect". . . . . . . . . . 10

1.4. The effect of experienced students upon the
hypothesized attitude curve . . . . . . . . . 11

vi

CHAPTER I

THE QUESTION

1.1 The Problem:

 

There are many problems which face the new student enter-
ing any institution of higher learning. The author of this
thesis has been particularly interested in one of these prob—
lems, namely, a student‘s choice of curriculum. One of many
related questions which arises is: "Has the student actually
enrolled and is be taking courses in a department which can
provide the specific education he is seeking?" Logic, as
well as personal experience, seems to indicate that there are
probably many students on any campus who, because of misin-
formation and false expectations, are enrolled in courses of
study which are not designed to provide the material and in-
formation in which the student is interested.

Misinformation and false expectations may not be the only
cause of this problem. Some department titles are misleading
vis-a-vis the purposes and goals of the department and its
faculty. In other words, the department title may not give
an accurate picture of its purpose to the uninitiated. An
example of this on the Michigan State University campus is the

Department of Communication. This department is primarily

research oriented and does concern itself with communication
in the broadest sense of the word. This department carries
out research into interpersonal communication, mass communi-
cation, cross-cultural communication, and message system
analysis. The approaches and methodology used in the Depart-
ment of Communication demonstrate the practice of a behavioral
science. This, very likely, is a far different picture from
that conjured in the mind of the uninformed listener when he
hears the Department of Communication mentioned.

The former problem involving misinformation and false
expectations would seem to be of most importance to a depart-
ment with a professional orientation. This department may be
distinguished from the purely academic department by its
preparation of students to function within a distinct profes—
sional area. Examples of such departments would be:
Television-Radio, Advertising, Journalism, and Business Adminis-
tration.

The latter problem, that of misleading department titles,
may be operant in the case of the Television—Radio Department
at Michigan State University. No one seems to have any idea
how many students enter this department with the idea that
they will be trained as television performers, engineers,
board operators, etc. Though these entering students may en-
joy considerable exposure to these occupations, this type of
training is not the specific purpose of Michigan State's

Television-Radio Department.

These two problems, as perceived by this author, are
directly responsible for the design of this study. This
investigation centers upon the undergraduate members of the
Television—Radio Department of Michigan State University.

Several questions now arise which the author feels are
of legitimate concern. The first question concerns how much
the students know about the professions in the fields of
television and radio. We have assumed that since the graduate
has fulfilled the requirements for a degree that he is suf-
ficiently acquainted with the academic procedures necessary
to function within his chosen field. But what does the stu-
dent expect when he actually enters the field in regard to
salary, the future of his position, status in the community,
and notoriety? We might then ask how these expectations
correspond to recognized fact. Is there a difference between
these facts and student expectations? If there is, at what
point did the student receive or generate this misinformation?

Adding another dimension to the questioning, one might
ask what sort of attitudes are possessed by the student. In
what light does the undergraduate student in Television-Radio
View his chosen profession? How do the attitudes of the stu-
dent change? How do the attitudes of the freshmen compare
with the attitudes of the upperclassmen? Finally, are there
any apparent correlations between the students' attitudes
toward, and their knowledge of, their chosen profession?

A final question which might be asked here concerns the

capacity in which the student expects to work after graduation.

Comparison of the answers given by the members of different
class levels should provide an interesting profile of expec-
tations.

Upon searching the literature, this author has discovered
that little or nothing has been published which might shed
some light on the preceding questions. In fact, little infor-
mation is available which clarifies the relationship between
knowledge and attitude. However, social scientists have de-
fined the relationship between attitude and past experience.1
For the purposes of this study, we shall assume knowledge to

be based upon past experience; therefore, knowledge should

have some effect on the formation of attitudes.
1.2 Hypotheses and Definitions:

In this study, we shall assume that a student's knowledge
of the professions corresponds to his assigned information
level. The student's information level will appear as a
decimal fraction indicative of his performance on a test
instrument based upon available information about the profes-

sions. ‘Hereafter, in this paper, the term "information level"

 

1Theodore M. Newcomb, A Dictionary of the Social Sciences
(New York: The Free Press, 1964), 40. "An attitude . . .
represents the residue of a person's previous experience with
which he approaches any subsequent situation. . . ."

See also: Jon Eisenson, J. Jeffery Auer, and John V.
Irwin, The Psychology of Communication (New York: Appleton-
Century-Crofts, 1965), 252. "Attitudes are not a part of the
individual‘s native psychological equipment; they are acquired
or developed throughout his life."

will refer to the amount of information about the professions
which the student possesses. In short, it will serve as an
index of what the student knows about the professions.

The curve which the information level will describe when
dispersed over the entire undergraduate enrollment should

2 However, since the under-

theoretically approach an S—curve.
graduates, in most cases, do not enroll in Television-Radio
courses until their sophomore year, the curve should become
steeper somewhat later than might otherwise be expected, as
depicted in Figure 1.1 on the following page.

The information level curves described within the four

class levels should again be S-curves. However, the base of

 

2An S-curve derives its name from the shape of the graphic
representation of any learning process, over a period of time.
It states, graphically, that as time passes, the learning pro-
cess progresses at varying rates: rather slowly at first,
gaining upward momentum with acquired knowledge, then tapering
off as it nears the top of the graph. This results in a graph
representing an extended "S" shape (see an example in Fig. 1.1).

The appearance of such a graph implies the existence of
a hierarchy of knowledges. That is, certain bits of knowledge
take precedence and must be mastered before further learning
of other knowledge may take place. The more of these antece-
dent bits of information that are mastered, the more rapidly
an organism may learn further related bits of knowledge.

Robert M. Gagne discusses this schema of subordinate
knowledges, showing the necessity of certain prerequisite
knowledge before progress may be made in further learning in
any given situation in: Robert M. Gagne, "The Acquisition of
Knowledge," Psychological Review, LXIX (July, 1962), 555-565.

More examples of S-curves as they appear in various learn—
ing situations may be found in: Glen Myers Blair, Stewart R.
Jones, and Ray H. Simpson, Educational Psychology (2d ed.;

New York: Macmillan, 1962), chap. vi, "Readiness and Indi-
vidual Differences in Learning," 128-165.

 

Inf'rmation Level

 

 

’H_ --Graduation
" ean
Normal-;/ n
/./ esized
/
/
/,/‘” ean

Entrancedeh—£=——+figan

 

 

 

 

 

 

Freshmen Sophomores Juniors Seniors

Fig. 1.1--A comparison of the hypothesized curve with the
normal S-curve. The mean of the scores within a given class
level should be represented as a point somewhere on the hy-
pothesized curve, within the boundaries of that class level.
The mean was chosen as the central tendency for each group
of scores. If all of the individual scores were distributed
over the curve, a modified S-curve would have resulted, al-
though it would have been more difficult to observe.

each successive curve should become progressively higher in
each subsequent class level. This result is expected as the
more advanced students have enjoyed more contact with the
faculty and Television—Radio coursework, resulting in a higher
initial information level.

It is further anticipated that the differences in pro-
fessional experience among the students in each class would
require dividing each of the classes into three sub-groupings:
(1) those who have no previous professional experience,

(2) those who have some previous professional experience, and
(5) those who have considerable professional experience.

The base of the information level curve of the experience

sub—groups should be higher in all four class groupings than
that of the corresponding inexperienced sub—group of the same

Class. See Figure 1.2.

Igformation Level

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Freshmen Sophomores Juniors Seniors

a. Those having considerable previous experience.
b. Those having some previous experience.
c. Those having no previous experience.

Fig. 1.2.--A comparison of the three hypothesized inforh
mation level curves of each experience sub—group.

It was hoped that this study would uncover any incon-
sistencies between information level and the available facts,
if, indeed, such inconsistencies exist. Further commentary
on this question will appear in Chapter III.

Attitude, in this paper, will be defined in the manner
of Kerlinger. It is a person's predisposition to think, feel,
perceive, and behave toward a cognitive object.3 Attitude

will also be understood to include all three kinds of

 

3Fred N. Kerlinger, Foundations of Behavioral Research
(New York: Holt, Reinhart, and Winston, 1964), 485.

attitudinal orientation as defined in the manner of Breer and
Locke.4

Two hypotheses appear to be defensible in regard to atti-
tude. The first is that the curve representative of the atti-
tudes toward the professions ought to demonstrate a slight
"horseshoe effect"5 (see Figure 1.5, page 10).

The attitudes of inexperienced freshmen, for example,
might be expected to be higher than those of SOphomores or
juniors due to what might be called "freshman enthusiasm.“

The sophomores, with more experience and exposure to informa-
tion should be somewhat less enthusiastic about the professions,
as they should be aware of more of the drawbacks than are the
freshmen. Also important, the sophomore class level may in-
clude those disillusioned students who are planning to drop

out of the program but have not yet done so. (This might be
due to the individual's reaction to the Television-Radio
Department or one of its faculty members. This particular

problem has not been included within the scope of this study.)

 

4The term "attitude" is most often used to refer to what
Breer and Locke called cathectic orientations (preferences).
It is used less often to refer to orientations of a cognitive
nature (beliefs). Least often, it is used to refer to moral
judgments (values). This paper shall use the term "attitude"
to refer to all three kinds of orientations: preferences, be—
liefs, and values. For further information, see: Paul E.
Breer and Edwin A. Locke, Task Experience as a Source of Atti-
tudes (Homewood, Illinois: The Dorsey Press, 1965), 57-45,
"Attitude Theory."

5The term "horseshoe effect" was coined by the author and
is applied to the small valley which occurs toward the begin-
ning of the hypothesized attitude curve graph. This slight
downward curve was thought to resemble a horseshoe. (See the
example in Fig. 1.5.)

The influence of another important group very likely
enters here. From the beginning of the sophomore year,
transfer students to the Television-Radio Department from
other departments, colleges, and universities should affect
the attitude curve. Transfer students by virtue of their
choice of this new program of study ought to be characterized
by a relatively higher attitude level. This should result
in a slight raising of the total group attitude curve to a
point above that of a like curve representing the attitudes
of the original Television-Radio majors. (Since this study
is concerned only with the general attitude of all the stu-
dents, no effort was made to compare the attitude of transfer
students with that of the other students.)

After the drop-outs have left the department and trans—
fer students have entered the program, and as the goal of a
degree is recognized as nearing, the attitude curve of the
students should demonstrate an increase, terminating on our
graph at graduation. This final point should be located
somewhere above the point representing the attitudes of the
incoming students. Just how much higher this final point is
located was difficult to hypothesize without any pertinent
data. The results of the effects discussed in the preceding
three paragraphs are shown in Figure 1.5.

Another group of students is of importance to the atti-
tude curve and the information level curve. These are the

students with past exposure to broadcasting. The student may

10

 

 

 

 

    
  

 

 

 

 

 

Attitude
POSltlve) ‘ --Graduation
| | ean
Entrance-- :
mean ean
I
me I
Negative) ["horsesh effect"

Freshmen Sophomores Juniors Seniors

This curve is not intended to represent the indi-
vidual student's mean scores, distributed across
the graph. This curve is a hypothesized projection
of the mean scores of the class levels (i.e.,
freshmen, sophomores, juniors. .and seniors) .

Fig. 1.5.--The hypothesized attitude curve, demonstrat—
ing the "horseshoe effect."

have past experience as a broadcaster or come from a broadcast-
oriented family (e.g., his father may own or manage a station,
though the student himself may have had no actual experience
working at the station). In either case, he ought to have an
information level which more closely corresponds to reality
than does the student with no exposure to the profession

(i.e., he ought to do better on a factually based questionnaire).
In a like manner, his attitude should be more consistent dur-
ing his stay at Michigan State University, exhibiting fewer

and smaller changes during the course of his education. This
group should have a moderating effect on the steepness of the

group attitude curve at any given point. See Figure 1.4.

11

 

 

Attitude
Positive) « .
_’+‘,.4—’ “Graduation

P_.i*_* /9‘/
Entrance b \\, // .x'

0-— _C_ \- 7/

\6—4""/

Negative

 

 

 

 

 

 

Freshmen Sophomores Juniors Seniors

a. Professionally inexperienced students.

b. Mediated curve, showing effect of experienced
students on total group.

c. Professionally experienced students.

Fig..1.4.—-The effect of experienced students upon
the hypothesized attitude curve.

The second hypothesis is that after the initial downward
trend of the attitude curve, the subsequent rise in student
attitudes will be similar to the rise in the information level
curve. In other words, the more the student knows about the
professions, and perhaps more important, the nearer he is to
receiving a degree, the more favorable his attitude toward
his chosen profession.

It seems only reasonable to expect a wider dispersion
of employment expectations among seniors than among freshmen
or lower class members. This, if due only to the upper class
members' greater exposure to the possibilities, should prove
interesting information for any member of the Television-

Radio Department concerned with undergraduate education.

12

At the time of their formation, the foregoing hypotheses
appeared to be valid. This study was designed to test them.
The only work resembling this study previously done at
Michigan State University has been studies investigating stu-
dent attitudes toward departmental programs. As far as is
known by the Bureau of Institutional Research, no research
has been done investigating the correlation of attitudes and
knowledge as they relate to a professional area.6

This investigation may indicate general misunderstanding
and false expectations among undergraduate Television-Radio
students and possibly the sources of these misunderstandings
and false expectations. If not, the data should provide some
guidelines for someone else to use in finding the sources
and cures for the hypothesized misunderstandings. The data
from this study could well provide a fruitful area for further

research.

 

6Interview with Dr. Joseph L. Saupe, Associate Director
of the Bureau of Institutional Research, Michigan State
University, November 8, 1966.

CHAPTER II

THE INVESTIGATION

2.1 The Test Instrument:

 

In order to furnish answers to the questions posed in
the preceding chapter, it was obvious that some instrument
had to be devised which would provide a measurement of the
variables in question: information level and attitude. It
was also evident that the relatively small size of the Tele-
vision-Radio undergraduate student body would require the
design of a single instrument to accomplish both tasks. At
the time of the investigation, this body of students numbered
approximately 257. Any attempts to divide this group into
smaller numbers for separately testing the variables would
have not only rapidly depleted the number of available sub-
jects, but could have raised serious questions concerning the
statistical reliability of the small samples.

Having decided upon a questionnaire with a two part
format, work proceeded on the design of the section intended
to measure information level. The data used in the construc-

tion of this form was distilled from United States Government

1

publications and from professional publications. Using this

 

lThe publications used were: U. S. Bureau of Labor
Statistics, Employment Outlook in Radio and Television,

15

14

data, the author designed a set of eighty-five questions
which he believed to be a realistic selection of representa-
tive items, ones which a "knowledgeable" person in the field
could be expected to answer correctly. This list was then
submitted to a panel made up of seven broadcast educators at
Michigan State University. The final selection of questions
was based on the recommendations of this panel.

In order to make response as simple as possible for the
person filling out the questionnaire, the information level
questions took the form of statements with which the indi-
vidual was asked to agree or disagree. These statements were
based upon the previously mentioned data from the several
publications. A third choice labeled "undecided" was pro-
vided for that person who did not possess the necessary knowl—
edge to make this judgment. The statements used, as well as
their form, sources, and correct responses may be found in
the sample questionnaire in the Appendix.

When evaluating a subject's performance on the infor-
mation level portion of the questionnaire, a correct response
to a statement (i.e., agreeing with correct statements or

disagreeing with incorrect statements) was assigned the value

 

Bulletin No. 1450-111, Reprint from 1966-67 Occupational Out—
look Handbook (1966).

U. S. Bureau of the Census, Statistical Abstracts of the
United States, (1966).

National Association of Broadcasters, Careers in Tele-
vision (Washington: National Association of Broadcasters,
1965).

Glenn Starlin (ed.) "The Broadcasting Employee: A re—
port from the APBE-NAB Employment Study," Journal of Broad-
casting, VII, No. 5 (Summer, 1965), 255-245.

 

15

of one. A response in the "undecided" column was assigned
the value of two, while an incorrect response was evaluated
as a three. A mean score could then be calculated from the
individual's performance. This score, ranging from one to
three, was assigned to the individual as his information
level.

The construction of the attitude scale was a different
matter. The relatively simple summated rating scale was de-
cided upon because of its ease in construction and in final
interpretation. The summated rating scale not only enjoys
the support of authority,2 but also is capable of providing

3 The seven-point scale as used in

very reliable results.
Osgood's Semantic Differential was decided upon as it pro-
vided more room for response variation than most other types
of scales now in use.

The operation of this type of scale is easy to understand.
A statement with a positive or a negative orientation is fol-
lowed by a scale with polar values. A person responding to

the statement indicates his feeling about the subject by

checking the space which most nearly reflects these feelings.

 

2Kerlinger, op. cit., p. 487. "Of the three types of
scales, the summated rating scale seems to be the most useful
in behavioral research. It is easier to develop, and . . .
yields about the same results as the more laboriously con-
structed equal appearing interval scale.“

3Allen L. Edwards, Techniques of Attitude Scale Construc-
tion (New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts, 1957), 161.
"Likert scales of ten statements have provided reliability co-
efficients from .91 to .95." (A Likert scale is a summated
rating scale.)

16

For example, if a strongly positive statement is made about
the subject in question and the individual agrees with the
statement, he is indicating that he feels positively about
the subject. If he disagrees with the positive statement, he
is indicating a negative stance. The reverse is true in the
case of the negatively oriented statement. A person agreeing
with a negative statement displays a negative attitude, while
the person disagreeing with the negative statement displays

a positive attitude. Table 2.1 shows a statement and scale,

marked to exhibit a negative attitude.

TABLE 2.1--A seven point summated rating scale showing a nega—
tive orientation toward automobile driving.

 

 

"Automobile driving is dangerous." (A negative statement.)

: : X : : : :
agree agree agree no disagree disagree disagree
very strongly opinion strongly very
strongly strongly

 

Each of the seven response choices was then assigned a
value between one and seven. The end of the column designated
"agree very strongly" was rated as one; the other end of the
pole, ”disagree very strongly," was rated as seven. "No
opinion" was assigned the central value of four.

When interpreting the responses to a positive statement

(Numbers 1, 2, 5, 6, 9-14, 17-20 in the sample questionnaire

17

in the Appendix), a response of values one, two, or three
indicated a positive attitude toward television and radio,
while a five, six, or seven indicated a negative attitude
toward television and radio.

In the case of the negatively oriented statement
(Numbers 5, 4, 7, 8, 15, 16 in the sample questionnaire), the
response values were interpreted in reverse order (i.e., a
response of value seven, six, or five was interpreted as being
of values one, two, or three, respectively, since disagreeing
with a negative statement is indicative of a favorable atti-

‘ tude; a three, two, or one was interpreted as a five, six, or
seven” :respectiVely,. since agreeing with a negative statement
is indicative of an unfavorable attitude toward television

and radio). This allowed a response of values, one, two, or
three to be construed as indicative of favorable orientation
toward television and radio, in all cases.

Each respondent's performance on the attitude portion of
the questionnaire was then designated, for comparative pur-
poses, by the mean value of his responses.4 This value, be-
tween one and seven, was then used to calculate further group.
means, representative of each class and/or experience group
to which the respondent belonged.

The statements represent an attempt on the part of the

author to investigate the students' attitudes toward as many

 

4The reliability of this figure as an indicator of atti-
tudinal orientation is discussed in detail in: Edwards,
Op. cit., chap. vi, "The Methodology of Summated Rating Scales,"
149-171.

18

different facets of professional broadcasting as possible.
Undoubtedly there are important areas of attitude orien-
tation which have been omitted. However, it was felt that
the chosen statements concerned as many different aspects as
could be effectively treated when employing a maximum of

twenty statements.

2.2 The Data Collection:

 

The methodology employed in the actual process of data
collection was straight-forward. Three collection procedures
were decided upon: (1) As many students as possible were
tested in Television—Radio Department courses; (2) freshman
Television—Radio majors, who do not take Television-Radio
courses, and those sophomores not enrolled in Television-Radio
courses, were tested at special sessions in reserved rooms
in their residence halls; (5) those students not contacted in
classes or residence halls received questionnaires with
postage-paid return envelopes in their mailboxes.

A Television—Radio Department advisor's list containing
the names, class standing and grade point average of all
department students was obtained and compared with current
registration cards to ascertain, as nearly as possible, the
total number of Television-Radio undergraduate students.

The corrected advisor's list was next compared to course
registration lists and a testing schedule was then planned

which would cover the majority of students enrolled in

19

Television—Radio courses, with a minimum interruption of
class time. The testing procedures were then carried out as
planned. Table 2.2 shows the coverage effected by these

procedures.

TABLE 2.2—-The number and percent of students tested.

 

 

 

 

Total Tested Percentage of
Class Enrollment Enrollment Total Enrollment
Freshmen 55 28 80.0
Sophomores 55 40 72.5
Juniors 78 55 67.9
Seniors 69 45 65.5
Total 257 166 70.9

 

Note: The 166 subjects were dispersed over the three testing
procedures as follows: (1) 116 tested in Television-Radio
courses, (2) 22 tested in residence halls, and (5) 28 tested
with mailed forms.

Comparison of the mean grade point average of the tested
group with the mean grade point average of the total depart-
ment undergraduate enrollment, seems to indicate that the
tested sample was representative of the undergraduate Tele-
vision-Radio major population. Table 2.5 shows this compari-

son .

20

TABLE 2.5--The comparison of mean grade point averages.

 

 

Group
Freshmen Sophomores Juniors Seniors Mean

 

Tested

Group . 2.25 2.41 2.41 2.49 2.41
Television-

Radio Majors 2.50 2.58 2.57 2.50 2.40
University* 2.27 2.40 2.45 2.60 2.45

 

*

These averages are from winter term, 1966-67, and were fur-
nished by Mr. Ira B. Baccus, Assistant to the Vice-President
in Charge of Student Affairs.

The resulting data were coded on punch cards and sub-
mitted to the Computer Center for analysis. The results of

this analysis are reported in the following chapter.

CHAPTER III

THE FINDINGS

5.1 The Composition of the Tested Group:

The tabulated data from the Computer Center at Michigan
State University provided the information in Table 5.1 re—
garding the class level and previous experience of the

students tested.

TABLE 5.1--The number of students tested, by class and experi—

 

 

 

 

ence.

Class Level
Experience Level Fresh. Soph. Junior Senior Total
No experience (1) 16 22 27 22 87
Some experience (2) 9 9 19 12 49
Much experience (5) 5 9 7 11 50
Total 28 40 55 45 166

 

5.2 Information Level, Results:

The information level part of the questionnaire was de-
signed with the hope that it would provide some measure of
what the students actually knew about the professions in

television and radio and how these professions function.

21

22

Since this information is usually best gathered through
experience, it was expected that Group 1 (those with no
previous professional experience) would do the least well of

1 This would indicate that this portion of

the three groups.
the questionnaire had fulfilled its purpose. Examination of
Table 5.2 indicates this was the case. (When examining

Table 5.2, and all following tables dealing with information

level scores, please remember that the numerically lower

score indicates the greater number of correct responses.)

Table 5.2--A comparison of the mean information level scores
of the three experience groups.

 

 

Experience Group

 

1 2 5
No experience Some Experience Much Experience
1.912 1.810 1.675

 

Experience was important to student performance on the ques-.
tionnaire. Those students with some previous experience
(Group 2) did clearly better than those students with no
previous experience (Group 1). At the same time, the group
with much previous experience (Group 5) performed much better

than the preceding two groups.

 

1In this paper, those students with no previous profession-
al experience are listed as Group 1. Those students who listed
themselves as having "less than one year" of full-time experi-
ence,"1ess than one year" and "one year" of part-time experience
were listed as Group 2. Those students with more experience
than those in Group 2 were classified as Group 5.

25

Academic experience, though important to student perform-
ance, seems to be less important than does previous profes-
sional experience. As can be seen in Table 5.5, the seniors'
score indicates that they performed better on the questionnaire
than the other class groups. At the same time, the most in—

ferior score was recorded by the freshmen. However, there

TABLE 5.5--A comparison of the mean information level scores
of the four class groups.

 

 

Class Group

 

Freshmen Sophomores Juniors Seniors
1.951 1.856 1.851 1.756

 

appears to be little difference between the performance of the
sophomores and that of the juniors. This is especially true
in the case of Group 1, where the sophomores performed better
than did the juniors (Table 5.5, page 27).

In chapter one, questions concerning what the students
knew about their chosen profession were raised. Analysis of
the information level questions shows that most students,
with the exception of seniors, had difficulty with five
questions.2 These questions were numbers 6, 8, 12, 16, and

18 on the sample queStionnaire (Appendix). In all but one

 

2It was decided that the 2.0 "undecided" level would be
the cutoff point. Any mean scores falling within the range
220—5.0 indicated a lack of information necessary to answer
the question.

24

case, those students in experience Group 5 had little diffi-
culty in answering any of the troublesome questions. Seniors
had only minor difficulties with questions number 6, 16, and
18.

The student performance on question six is neither sur-
prising nor does it indicate a serious misunderstanding.
The question concerns the comparison of salaries of newspaper
editors and television station program directors (see page 2
of the sample questionnaire). The author seriously doubts
whether most newspaper editors and program directors could
answer the question. At any rate, most students would prob-
ably not have the information needed to make this judgment.
This question was intended to test the reliability of choice
number two, labeled "undecided"; 158 students (85.1%) checked
the "undecided" column. Only eleven students responded in-
correctly. The means were: Freshmen, 2.15; sophomores, 2.09;
juniors, 2.10; and seniors, 2.04. It is possible to say with
some certainty that when a student did not possess the knowl-
edge to make the required judgment that he did not guess, but
rather marked the "undecided" column.

There is a serious problem with question number eight.
This question pertains to the number of commercial television
stations in the United States. Though the seniors did ex-
tremely well on this question (mean: .1.40) regardless of
their previous experience, the freshmen, sophomores, and

juniors did not do so well. Fully three-fourths of the

25

freshmen (mean: 2.50) and two-thirds of the sophomores
(mean: 2.00) and juniors (mean: 2.19) checked either the
"undecided" column or the incorrect answer. ,In the latter
three classes, those who did mark the correct response were
nearly all in experience Group 5.

Question number twelve, concerning the number of full-time
employees in an average commercial television station, proved
difficult for the freshmen (mean: 2.52) and sophomores (mean:
2.55). The juniors (mean: 2.02) had less difficulty, and
the seniors (mean: 1.61) did rather well. Again, nearly all
students in experience Group 5 gave the correct response.

All of the students encountered difficulty on question
number sixteen. In fact, only ten students (eight in experi-
ence Group 5, and two in Group 2) gave the correct response.
The exact meaning of this question, concerning the comparison
of salaries of producer-directors and staff announcers is, on
second examination, ambiguous. Though the question was
originally intended to refer to local stations, this stipula-
tion was nOt made clear. Therefore the answers to this ques-
tion are inconclusive at best.

The final question on which there was serious difficulty
was number eighteen. This question concerns the education
experience of broadcast employees. As shown in Table 5.4,
the results exhibited some rather unusual characteristics.

To begin with, juniors and seniors did not do as well as the

freshmen or the sophomores. More unusual were the results

26

TABLE 5.4—-A comparison of group performance on information
level question number 18.

 

 

 

 

Class Level I
Experience Group Fresh. Soph. Junior Senior Total
No experience (1) 1.94 2.14 2.57 2.86 2.56
Some experience (2) 2.22 2.00 2.47 2.50 2.55
Much experience (5) 2.55 1.89 2.57 2.09 2.50
Total 2.07 2.05 2.45 2.58 2.54

 

among experience groups within each class level. In the case
of the freshmen and the juniors, the more experienced the
group, the poorer the performance. In the case of the sopho-
mores and seniors, the more experienced groups performed
considerably better than‘the inexperienced groups. Another
unusual result was that only six students (four sophomores
and two freshmen) checked the "undecided" column, indicating
that most of the students felt they knew the correct response.
It is also interesting to note that the students on the whole
are not aware of the comparatively high degree of education
found among broadcasting employees. Anyone interested in
why the students think as they do would have to investigate

further, as none of the other results of this study seem to

shed any light on this question.

5.5 Information Level, Findings:

Generally speaking, the students did fairly well on the

questions designed to measure their information level. As can

27

be seen in Table 5.5, no single group of students fell below
the 2.0 level on the questionnaire. In fact, the mean per—
formance of all students is calculated at 1.859. This seems
to indicate that the undergraduate students are pretty well

versed in facts about the broadcasting industry.

TABLE 5.5--A comparison of group mean information level‘scores.

 

Class Level

 

 

 

Experience Level Fresh. Soph. Junior Senior Total
No experience (1) 1.99 1.87 1.95 1.85 1.91
Some experience (2) 1.95 1.79 1.76 1.80 1.81
Much experience (5) 1.75 1.78 1.75 1.50 ‘1.67
Total 1.95 1.84 1.85 1.75 1.84

 

The information level questions have provided three major
findings, within the context of the questionnaire. First of
all, again speaking generally, any misinformation a student
possesses is in his possession when he enters the Television-
Radio Department program at Michigan State. There was no
evidence of misinformation being generated while the student
is going to school. Further and more important, this misin—
formation is, in all tested cases, corrected by the time the
student graduates.

The second major finding is also illustrated in Table 5.5.

The figures imply that the two most important years in the

Television-Radio student's career at Michigan State are the

28

sophomore and senior years. This finding is not at all sur-
prising. The student has his first exposure to Television-
Radio coursework during his sophomore year. The figures
further imply that the junior year might perhaps be regarded
as an extension of the sophomore year. During the junior
year, the student appears to solidify and complete the basic
learning and understanding begun in the sophomore year. This
is a necessary prerequisite to the more advanced work encoun-
tered during the senior year. This advanced work during the
senior year is precisely what makes this year so important.
The student is then in a position to see "what it's all
about." Additional commentary on the similarities and import-
ance of the sophomore and senior years may be found in section
5.4, "Attitude Scale, Results."

The third finding is more specific and refers to the
undergraduates' misconception of the size of the Television—
Radio broadcasting industry. By far the majority of the
freshmen, sophomores, and juniors believes that the industry
is much larger than it really is. Since this is no problem
for seniors, or for those students in experience Group 5, it
appears that the professionally inexperienced seniors have
had their misconception corrected.

At some future date, someone's oversight might be respon-
sible for this misconception remaining uncorrected. This may,
or may not, be important. Whether or not the correction of

this misconception would have any effect on the attitudes of

29

the undergraduate students is open to speculation and study.
An interesting query might ask if this information would
affect the size of the undergraduate enrollment. This study
provides no indication. At any rate, information regarding
the size of the industry probably ought to be disseminated

at an earlier time in the student's education than is done at
present.

A further finding, though very likely not as important
as the previous findings, indicates that the students seem
to have little idea of the educational level of the people
involved in broadcasting. As the article in the Journal of
Broadcasting on which this question is based points out, the

broadcasting industry employee is remarkedly well-educated.3

5.4 Attitude Scale, Results:

 

The attitude scale was intended to provide some indica-
tion about how the undergraduate student viewed his chosen
profession. Looking at the total variation among the four
class levels in Table 5.6, it can be seen that the attitude
curve corresponds closely to that hypothesized in chapter one.
However, this only holds true for the curve representative of
the freshmen, sophomores, and juniors. The attitude of the
freshmen is relatively high, while the sophomores demonstrate
the "horseshoe effect." The juniors, in turn, are characters

ized by a rise in the attitude curve. At this point, there is

 

3Starlin, op. cit.

50

TABLE 5.6--The tabulated means of performance on the attitude
scale.

 

 

Class Level

 

 

Experience Level Fresh. SOph. Junior: Senior Total
No experience (1) 5.05 5.18 2.95 5.55 5.12
Some experience (2) 5.17 5.12 5.08 5.10 5.11
Much experience (5) 2.68 5.15 5.10 5.25 5.15
Total 5.05 5.16 5.02 5.25 5.124

 

a radical departure from the hypothesized curve. The seniors
are characterized by a severe drop in attitude.

This drop in attitude might be explained by assuming that
more discussion about the actual operation of a broadcasting
station is pursued during the course of the advanced work in
the senior year. However, this provides no explanation of why
experience Group 2 is comparatively little affected by the
same senior year.

Further examination of the cells in Table 5.6 shows that
those students whose attitudes were least affected by progress
in the Television-Radio curriculum.were in experience Group 2.
Those students exhibiting the greatest attitude change were
in experience Group 5. These results are contrary to those
originally hypothesized. This study has provided no indica-
tion of what might be responsible for this contrast. One

hypothesis might be that those students with a lesser amount

of previous experience may have tended to be employed at more

51

menial tasks, while those with more experience were employed

in the "glory" jobs. This could at least account for the
initial difference on the attitude scale. It might then follow
that those persons characterized by a lower initial attitude
score would be less affected by later confrontation with some
of the less inspiring facts about the broadcasting industry.

At any rate, this might well be a fruitful area for further
research.

It is interesting to note that the total means for each
experience group are not significantly different from one
another. Perhaps this indicates that statements about experi-
ence and total student attitudes are best made in conjunction
with qualifying statements about class standing, and, possibly,
the students' ages.

Although there was little difference among the total means
of the experience groups, there are clear-cut differences among
the means of the separate classes. Statements concerning the
similarities of the sophomore and senior years in section 5.5
of this paper are further reinforced by observation of the
attitude scale. While the effect of experience upon attitude
appears to be more extreme in the case of seniors, it is,
nonetheless, similar to the effect of experience upon the atti-
tudes of the sophomores.

The relatively moderate differences found among the ex-
perience groups within the sophomore and junior classes tends
to lend further credence to the finding stated in section 5.5,

that the junior year might be considered as an extension of

52

the sophomore year. The difference betWeen the mean of experi-
ence Group 1 in the sophomore class and that of experience
Group 1 in the junior class might be accounted for by the hy-
pothesis in section 1.2, that the junior class would include
enthusiastic transfer students, while the sophomore class would
include those disenchanted students planning on leaving the
program. This would assume that the majority of department
dropouts are members of experience Group 1. Whether or not
this is the case might be material for another study on why

students leave the Television-Radio Department.

5.5 Sources of Negative Attitude:

There were four statements which appeared to evoke nega-
tive reactions from all of the groups tested. These attitude
statements were numbers 2, 11, 15, and 19.

In statement 2, all of the groups indicated that they did
not believe that advancement was easily achieved in the radio
and television broadcasting industries. If the reader wishes
to believe that this is a positive reaction because it pro-
vides the aspiring broadcasters with a challenge, he will re—
ceive no argument from the author. This stand may have merit;
however, one end of the scale, in this case "disagree," had
to be negative for the purposes of tabulation. The resulting
means were: Freshmen, 4.70; sophomores, 4.59; juniors, 4.54;
and seniors, 4.51.

Statement 11 concerned the comparative position of im-

portance of radio and newspapers in the mass media. Though

55

freshmen (mean: 5.86) and sophomores (mean: 5.44) believed
radio to be more important, juniors (mean: 4.17) and seniors
(mean: 4.18) felt newspapers to be more important than radio.

Statement 15 evoked the most negative reaction (again,
it could be construed to be a positive reaction, depending on
the position of the reader). Only eight students felt that
there was not much room for improvement in the broadcasting
industry. Interestingly enough, none of these students were
freshmen (two sophomores, four juniors, and two seniors so
indicated). By far the majority of freshmen (mean: 5.50),
sophomores (mean: 5.52), juniors (mean: 5.26L'and seniors
(mean: 5.55) felt that there was room for considerable im-
provement in the broadcasting industry.

Statement 19 pointed out that most of the students do not
believe employment in the broadcasting industry is easily
found. However, this does not hold true for those in experi-
ence Group 5, in any class. They all felt that employment
was not too difficult to find. The total group means were:
Freshmen, 4.25; sophomores, 4.45; juniors, 4.15; and seniors,
4.49.

Another source of negative attitude which might interest
the reader is found in statement 16. Only the seniors felt
that the broadcasting industry put far too much emphasis on
entertainment. This is interesting in light of Table 5.7
which shows that the only people interested in professions in

educational television were in the senior class.

54

5.6 Attitude Scalei Findings:

Perhaps the most important findings of the attitude scale
are the questions raised by the results. It is clear that
there are differences in attitudes among class level and experi-
ence groups. However, the sources of these differences can
only be guessed. How important these differences are, again,
can only be guessed. It is the author's opinion that further
research into this area may well provide the Television-Radio
Department at Michigan State University with some new guide-
lines for recruiting students and perhaps even for the way in
which the department program is conducted.

Generally speaking, the undergraduate students appear to
have a positive attitude toward television and radio (Total
mean: 5.124). It is encouraging to note that the students
are not boundlessly enthusiastic about the profession, but are
so in a realistic manner.

The students do not feel that employment is easy to find
nor that advancement is easily achieved in the industry.
Perhaps this opinion acts as a challenge, rather than a detri—
ment to student ambitions.

The students indicated that they believed that the tele-
vision industry not only needs new talent and ideas but has
yet to reach the apex of artistry and utility. Most believed
that the potential of television as an educational medium has
barely been tapped and that television does provide an answer

to many of the problems of education. In short, the students

55

agree that the broadcasting industry offers a bright new

future to the college graduate.

5.7 Student Employment Expectations:

 

In chapter one of this paper, the author speculated as
to what sort of work the students expected to be doing after
graduation and what sort of long range plans they possessed.
Tables 5.7 and 5.8 are tabulations of student responses to
questions five and six on the "General Information" part of
the questionnaire. Table 5.7 shows what the student hoped to
do after graduation.

In Table 5.7, as well as Table 5.8, students with multi-
ple responses had each response tallied as a single response.
For example, if the student responded that he hoped to be em-
ployed as either a writer or a director, a mark was placed in
both the writing and the directing column.

In the case of Table 5.8, most students indicated that
they expected to be on some supervisory level of their chosen
professional area. This was not necessarily true in the case
of some freshmen whose aspiration did not appear to go beyond
the status of a disc jockey or play-by-play sports announcer.

In answer to the question about the profile of expecta-
tions in section 1.2, there appears to be a greater dispersion

of employment plans and ambitions as one proceeds from the

freshman to the senior class.

56

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58

5.8 Recommendations for Future Study:

One particular finding of this study stands out in the
mind of the author as being well worth additional research
effort. When the information levels shown in Table 5.5,
page 25, are compared to the attitude scales of the same
class in Table 5.6, page 50, it can be seen that they follow
opposite patterns. For example, the juniors, who scored
lower in information level than either sophomores or seniors,
at the same time scored higher on the attitude scale than
either sophomores or seniors.

Is this coincidental, or is there actually an inverse
relationship between how much a person knows about a profes—
sion and how favorably he views it? The data in this study
seem to indicate that this relationship holds, at least in
the case of the television and radio professions. Valuable
information about the relationship between knowledge and atti-
tude might be gathered by conducting a study similar to this
one in one or more of the other professionally oriented depart-
ments at Michigan State University. Such departments, as
stated in chapter one, would be: Journalism, Business Adminis-
tration, and Advertising. There are many other departments
which might be considered. This relationship, if true of areas
other than television and radio might well be an important
finding.

Attitudes, as found in this study, seem to provide a most

fertile field for exploration. At the time of this writing,

59

research into the attitudes of broadcasting students toward
their training, profession, career plans, etc., is sparse.

A great deal of work remains to be done. Much of this work
will undoubtedly be of great importance to the broadcasting
industry, as well as the broadcast educator. This study has
provided some elementary information and has pointed out
problems which were previously unstated. Hopefully, these
findings will inspire someone else in broadcasting to explore

the many, many possibilities yet remaining.

APPENDIX

40

41.

QUESTIONNAIRE

You are requested to fill out the following questionnaire which is a por-
tion of a research survey being conducted among undergraduate students enrolled
in the Television-Radio Department. Also being surveyed are those students not
officially enrolled in the department, but who have indicated that they plan on
enrolling as soon as minimum requirements have been met.

Your responses will be anonymous. The forms have been in no way coded so
that you will remain unknown to those conducting the survey.

Please read the instructions carefully and then proceed to fill out the
questionnaire according to them. Thank you for your cooperation!

NOTE: In this questionnaire, the term."broadcast industry" is used to denote
only that area of the profession which is involved with the production
of programs and the operation of stations. The term "broadcast industry"
does not refer to those industries concerned with the manufacture of
components and materiel or those businesses which provide services to
the broadcasters.

GENERAL INFORMATION
1. Class level: (Check one) Fresh. Soph. Junior Senior .
2. Sex: Male Female .

3. Have you ever had full-time employment or experience in the broadcast
industry? No Yes .

If yes, how much? Less than one year One year
Two years More than two years .

h. Have you ever had part-time employment or experience in the broadcast
industry? (This includes summer employment.) No Yes .

If yes, how much? Less than one year One year
Two years More than two years .

5. Do you plan to work in the broadcast industry after receiving your degree?
Yes No .

6. If yes, what, in particular do you hope to do? (What sort of work?)

 

 

7. What position do you envisage yourself occupying after ten years of ex-
perience?

 

 

42

In the following portion of this questionnaire, you are requested to read
the statement and then indicate your agreement or disagreement with the state-
ment by placing an "X” in the appropriate column. If you feel the statement,
as it stands, to be accurate, place your "X" in the AGREE column. If you feel
the statement is inaccurate, place your "X” in the DISAGREE column. If you do
not know whether the statement is accurate or inaccurate, place your "X" in the
UNDECIDED column. If you believe the statement in question to be either ac-
curate or inaccurate, so indicate. If you have no basis for making such judg-
ments, please so indicate by checking the UNDECIDED column.

AGREE UNDECIDED DISAGREE

1. Among engineering, programing, and sales per-
sonnel in a broadcast station, the largest
single group of employees works in programing.

2. During the last year, more than 5,000 com-
mercial radio stations were in operation
in the United States.

3. The news director is usually more highly paid
than either the chief engineer or the sales-
men.

4. The majority of broadcasting industry employees
work in the television industry.

5. American radio and television stations employ
as many full-time employees as do American
advertising agencies.

6. The program director at a television station
makes about the same wages that a newspaper
editor makes.

7. The continuity director is usually responsible
for the overall program schedule.

8. There are over 1,000 commercial television
stations in the United States.

9. The highest paid broadcasting industry employee
is usually the traffic manager.

10. Most television stations employ more than five
staff announcers.

ll. Generally speaking, the programing department
plans, prepares, and produces local radio and
television programs.

l2.

13.

11+.

15.

l6.

17.

18.

19.

20.

45

The average commercial television station has
50 or more full-time employees.

One-third of all radio stations are located
in smaller communities with populations under
10,000.

The average television cameraman will make

about as much as an average newspaper reporter.

The three television networks employ one-half
of the full-time workers in the broadcast in-
dustry.

A television producer-director will make about
as much money as a television staff announcer.

The continuity director is responsible for the
writing and editing of scripts.

The majority of television-radio employees
have attended college.

As a rule, wages of a top announcer increase
as the size of the community in which he works
increases.

To date, unionized broadcast employees are
limited to the network centers.

AGREE

UNDECIDED

 

DISAGREE

344

The following statements are qualitative statements about the broadcast
industry, in general. After each statement is a 7-point scale. After reading
the statement, place an "X" in that space which most nearly reflects your
feelings toward that statement. For example, let us suppose that the state-
ment reads: "Travel by automobile is unsafe." If you agree with this state-
ment, you would probably mark the scale as in the following example:

 

. X : : : :
agree agree agree no disagree disagree disagree
very strongly opinion strongly very
strongly strongly
1 2 3 h 5 6 7
Or, if the statement reads: "Winter is very pleasant." Let us suppose

that you suffered frostbite sometime during the past winter. You would pro-
bably mark as in the following example:

: : : : : : X
l 2 3 77A 5 I; 7
NOTE: The numbers located immediately beneath each category of answer will,
henceforth, always refer to that category listed directly above the
number in question. For example, the number "6" will always appear

beneath the blank which corresponds to "disagree strongly." "3" cor-
responds to "agree," and so forth.

Please indicate your relative position for or against the following state-
ments by placing an ”X" in the appropriate space. If you have no opinion, there
is a space provided for you to so indicate. Remember, the number below the
space indicates the meaning of that space. If you still do not understand the
directions, please ask the proctor, and he will explain them.further.

 

l. The television industry is starved for
new talent and ideas.

 

2. Advancement is easily achieved in radio
and in the television industries.

 

FW
[0
U0
4:—
\n
0\
K1

3. Broadcasting, as an industry, lacks a
guiding conscience.

 

A. The federal government should place
more stringent regulations on the
broadcast industry.

 

5. Television has probably passed its high
point in artistry and utility.

 

6. The broadcast industry is important
in the formation of public opinion.

 

Example Scale:

0 O
O O

 

45

disagree disagree disagree

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Agree agree agree no
very strongly opinion strongly very
strongly strongly
1 2 3 h 5 6 7
7. Newspapers are more reliable news
sources than is television. : :
2 ‘E
8. Television viewing is very time-
consuming and wasteful. : : : :
2 h
9. The potential of television as an edu-
cational medium has barely been tapped. : : :
2 ‘D
10. The broadcast industry offers a bright
new future to the college graduate. : :
2 A
11. Radio occupies a more important place
in the mass media than do newspapers. :
2 E
12. The local broadcast announcer enjoys
the respect of his community. : : :
2 h
l3. The broadcasting industry serves a
definite social need. : : :
2 7_H
lh. It is reasonable to expect a substantial
income after some experience in the
broadcasting industry. ° : : :
2 h
15. There is room for much improvement
considering the present state of the
broadcasting industry. : : :
2 h
16. The broadcasting industry puts far too
much emphasis on entertainment. : : h : :
2
17. Television is an answer to many of
the problems of education. A 2
2
.18. Television newcasts are more
believable than are newspapers. : t =
2 __h
$19. It is easy to find employment in
the broadcasting industry. A 1
2
2CL Ehployment in the broadcasting industry
serves as a fine stepping-stone into
other types of public life. : : :
2 '_h

46

Explanation of the:guestionnaire:

The following information is intended to explain either
arrangement or interpretation of portions of the preceding
sample questionnaire, where such information is not readily

evident.

General Information:

 

The responses to questions number three and four in this
section were evaluated in the following manner:

"No experience" was assigned the number one, in both
cases.

"Less than one year" in question three, "Less than one
year" and "One year" in question four were assigned the same
value--two.

For the other responses, it was arbitrarily assumed that
one year of full-time employment was the equivalent of two
years of part-time employment. Hence, any response indicat—
ing at least this much experience was assigned the value of
three.

The responses to questions six and seven were evaluated
separately from the rest of the form. It was difficult to
forsee the total number of categories in which job expecta-
tions would be located, so it was decided to treat these

responses separately, and tally the results by hand.

47

Information Level:

 

The following comments are arranged in the same sequence
as the statements in pages two and three of the sample ques-
tionnaire. Immediately after the explanation of the state-
ments, the source of the information is indicated by the code
in parentheses. The key to thisinumber code is found follow-

ing the comment on question number 20.
Statement, Response, and Commentary:

1. The correct response to question number one is "AGREE.“
More than 40% of all full—time staff employees are in
programing work. (1)

2. The correct response is "AGREE." (1)

5. The correct response is "DISAGREE." Chief Engineers
average $226/wk., salesmen average $200/wk., and news
directors average $180/Wk. (1)

4. "DISAGREE" is correct. Over 55% of employees in broad-
casting are employed in radio. (1)

5. "DISAGREE" is correct. American advertising agencies
employ 125,000 full-time employees. Broadcasting stations
employ 85,000. (2)

6. "AGREE" is correct. (1,2)

7. "DISAGREE" is correct. The continuity director (if a
station has one) is reSponsible for all of the writing
done by his department. (4)

8. The correct response is "DISAGREE.§ There are over 580
commercial television stations in the United States. (1)

9. "DISAGREE." The sales manager is usually the highest
paid broadcasting employee at an average of $505/wk. (1)

10. "DISAGREE." Most television stations have three .
announcers. (1)

11.
12.

15.

14.

15.

16.
17.
18.

19.
20.

Key
(1).

(2).

(5).

(4).

48

"AGREE." (1)

"DISAGREE." The "average" station has between 25 and 50
employees. (2)

"AGREE." (1)

"AGREE" is correct, although the reporter might hold a
slight salary advantage over the cameraman. (1,2)

"DISAGREE." The networks employ only 10,000 of 85,000
total employees. (1,2)

"AGREE." (1)

"AGREE." (4)

"AGREE" is correct. 71.9% of all television employees
have attended college. 58.5% have degrees. 58.9% of
radio employees have attended college. 26% have degrees.
(5)

"AGREE." (1)

"DISAGREE." (1)

to the number code:

U.S., Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Outlook in
Radio and Television, Bulletin No. 1450-111, (1966).

 

U. 8., Bureau of the Census, Statistical Abstracts of
the United States, (1966).

Glenn Starlin (ed.), "The Broadcasting Employee: A Report
from the APBE-NAB Employment Study," Journal of Broadcast-
ing, VII, No. 5 (Summer, 1965), 255-245.

National Association of Broadcasters, Careers in Tele—
vision (Washington: National Association of Broadcasters,
1965).

BIBLIOGRAPHY

PUBLIC DOCUMENTS

U. S. Bureau of the Census. Statistical Abstracts of the
United States. .1966.

 

 

U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Employment Outlook in
Radio and Television. Bulletin No. 1450-111, 1966.

 

BOOKS

Blair, Glenn Myers, Jones, Stewart R., and Simpson, Ray H.
Educational Psychology, 2d ed. New York: Macmillan,
1962.

Breer, Paul E. and Locke, Edwin A. Task Experience as a
Source of Attitudes. Homewood, Illinois: The Dorsey
Press, 1965.

 

Edwards, Allen L. Techniques of Attitude Scale Construction.
New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts, 1957.

Eisenson, Jon, Auer, J. Jeffery, and Irwin, John V.
The Psychology of Communication. New York: Appleton-
Century-Crofts, 1965.
Kerlinger, Fred N. Foundations of Behavioral Science.
New York: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, 1964.
ARTICLES
Gagnél Robert M. "The Acquisition of Knowledge,"

'Psychological Review. LXIX, No. 7 (July, 1962), 555-565.

Newcomb, Theodore M. "Attitude," A Dictionary of the Social
Sciences. New York: The Free Press, 1964, 40.

 

Starlin, Glenn (ed.). “The Broadcasting Employee: A Report
from the APBE—NAB Employment Study," Journal of Broad—
casting. VII, No. 5 (Summer,.1965), 255-245.

49

50

Starlin, Glenn (ed.). "Employee Attitudes Toward the Broad-
casting Industry: A Report from the APBB-NAB Employment
Study," Journal of Broadcasting. VII, No. 4 (Fall, 1965),
559-567.

PAMPHLETS

National Association of Broadcasters. Careers in Television.
Washington: National Association of Broadcasters, 1965.

OTHER SOURCES

Bureau of Institutional Research, Michigan State University.
Personal interview with Dr. Joseph L. Saupe, Associate
Director. November 8, 1966.

Student Services, Michigan State University. Personal inter-
view with Mr. Ira B. Baccus, Assistant to the Vice-
President in Charge of Student Affairs. May 2, 1967.