IMPACT OF HORTICULTURAL INFORMATION ON TELEVIEWERS Thesis for the Degree of M. S. MICHIGAN STATE COLLEGE Louis MichaeI Berninger 1954 \mssns This is to certify that the thesis entitled The Impact of Horticultural Information on Telovi avers presented by Louis Michael Berninger has been accepted towards fulfillment of the requirements for M;— degree in WW8 Mfiwafi; Major professor Date 1-] 711a,“ [‘15‘4 I 0-169 IMPACT OF HORTICULTURAL INFORMATION ON TELEVIEWERS BY Louis Michael Berninger A THESIS Submitted to the School of Graduate Studies of Michigan State College of Agriculture and Applied Science in partial fulfillment of the requirements ' for the degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE Department of Horticulture 19Sh rm '2: 5:83 This study is dedicated to Miriam, the author's wife, for her constant aid, interest, and inspiration. 8311.137; ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The author wishes to express his sincere thanks to Dr. Donald P. Watson for his inspiration and guidance throughout this study; to Dr. Percy H. Tannenbaum for his constant interest and supervision. Grateful acknowledgement is also due other members of the author's committee, Dr. Alvin L. Kenworthy and Dr. Robert P. Crawford, for their help and suggestions. Sincere appreciation is extended to Mr. Robert Wurdock who assisted in the preparation of the scripts and assumed the role of the performer for all five productions. The author wishes to thank Professor Paul D. Bagwell and the members of the staff of the Basic Communications and Skills Department who graciously consented to relinquish portions of their class periods for the testing program. To Miss Adele Edwards for her aid throughout this study, the author is deeply indebted. TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . EXPERIMENTAL HYPOTHESES . . . . . . . . . . REVIEW OF LITERATURE . . . . . . . . . . . . PROCEDURES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Overview Testing Procedure Subjects Measuring Devices Design Scripts and Cast Program Productions Rehearsals and Meetings Props and Materials Studio Production RESULTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Information Attitude Recall Preference DISCUSSION 0 O O 0 O O O O O O O O O O O 10 10 10 ll 11 12 15 16 20 20 23 23 26 29 31 33 Illull: .. I I. llill .l 1. TABLE or CONTENTS (Cont.) Page CRITIQUE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 SUMMARY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 APPENDIX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . #1 Scripts hl Measuring Device hB Testing Instruction Sh LITERATURE CITED AND ADDITIONAL REFERENCES . . . . . 56 .1 ‘44} 1" Ill. allcl. LIST OF TABLES TABLE ' . . Page I. The Schedule for Communications Exposure 13 II. Results of The Information Tests 22 III. Results of The Recall Test 28 IV. Results of The Students' Opinion Questions 30 LIST OF FIGURES FIGURE Page 1. Performer and author during a studio rehearsal 18 2. Performer during a studio rehearsal 19 3. Influence of exposure as indicated by immediate and recall tests for quality of roses an R. Influence of exposure as indicated by immediate and recall tests for care of roses ' 2h 5. Influence of exposure as indicated by immediate and recall tests for use of roses 25 6. Influence of exposure as indicated by immediate and recall tests for frozen vegetables and nursery shrubs 25 Noumea! . I v.h| . .uPCns INTRODUCTION Research in consumer education, an area of increasing interest and importance, has received minor attention in the field of horticulture. Consumer education is the process of bringing to the potential consumer of a product the informa- tion with which to make an intelligent purchase. The rationale was that unless the individual possessed some basic information regarding a product to be purchased, unless he could link its use or application with certain of his real or imagined needs, he could not make an appropriate choice regarding its purchase. The mass media of communication has assumed the primary role of delivering information concerning available products and their use directly to the people. With the advent of television this type of communication activity has been in- creased many fold. The effectiveness of producing an increase in knowledge through television has been demonstrated by Rock, Duva, and Murray (Not Dated b). Sponsors of television advertising had many unanswered questions regarding the effectiveness of television in terms of two minute productions. Of extreme importance to these people, as well as potential sponsors, was the effectiveness of two minute productions in relation to the information ob- tained, the retention of this information, and the possible effects it may have on attitudes relating to the products discussed. It was decided to produce five tquminute television pro- grams to describe the use of three horticultural products. Three programs were related to the quality, the care, and the use of the rose flower; one program was devoted to frozen vegetables; and one program was designed to describe the use of nursery crops. EXPERINENTAL HYPOTHESES The five productions, which were recorded by kinescope, were used to test the following hypotheses: 1. Given a two minute program relating to a specific product, a significant increase in the amount of information regarding the con- tent will accrue. Both "live" television and kinescopie recordings have been reported more effective than normal classroom procedures in aiding the increase in knowledge (Rock, Duva, and Murray, Not Dated, 9.; Wilson, and Moe, 1951). In general, previous studies have been based on programs ranging in time from one-half to one hour. The effectiveness of shorter produc- tions in aiding the learning process has not been reported previously. It should be noted that two minutes is the length of time generally devoted toward television commercials. In a review of mass communications, Schramm.(l9h8) re- ported an abundance of information indicating that most com- munications could result in a significant increase in learning. The question still remains whether or not two minute tele- vision productions are effective in aiding the process of learning. 2. Given the same conditions as hypothesis one, an increase in the amount of information regarding the content will be accompanied by a significant change in attitude. On May h, 195h, the relationship of attitude and knowledge was discussed at the Midwestern Psychological Association Symposium.* It was concluded by many communication workers that this correlation theoretically existed and that it was a worthwhile topic of investigation. A decision to pursue a course of study of horticultural topics was dictated by the knowledge and information of the investigator. Concurrent with the information acquired over a period of years, a more favorable attitude toward horticul- tural subjects was developed. Theoretically it had been the acquisition of information that had created a favorable atti- tude toward this field of study. This same relationship may well have been the foundation for every consumer's pur- chasing decision. This correlation, theoretically so important, would appear to be the basis for studies by advertising personnel. If so, such studies were apparently "trade secrets" since very little have been reported. Recently,a report was made available on a communications study using tea (Smythe, l9Sh) as a horticultural crop. A series of commercials over a period of six months resulted in a significantly favorable change in attitude toward the product. * By private correspondence. No other publications have been found regarding this relation- ship of attitude and knowledge. The question.of its existence still remained. I 3. Given the same conditions as hypothesis one, but increasing the quantity of exposure and the variety of information, there will still be a significant increase in the amount of information learned regarding the content. The United States Navy recently reported (Vincent, Ash, and Greenhill, 19h?) on the effectiveness of television when increasing the quantity of information.and the length of ex- posure. The results demonstrated that a thirty-minute level of exposure was not as effective as a fifteen minute program with only half the quantity of information. Increasing the quantity and variety of information did not result in a pro- portionate increase in learning. This discussion of increasing the two factors, exposure and information and their effects on learning, has been de- bated. The interaction of previous results to the field of horticulture and to two minute productions has not been demon- strated. Another aspect relating to two minute productions was the retentive value of the information learned. A previous study by Hovland, Lumsdaine, and Sheffield (l9h9), reported steadily decreasing levels of knowledge immediately following exposure to information. A "sleeper effect" was also reported when positive attitude changes were first noticed 12 weeks after exposure to communication. The retentive value of advertising by television was extremely important to advertising personnel. The investi- gation was designed to include the recall value of television commercials and the possibilities of "sleeper effects" occur- ring on attitudes several weeks following exposure. Many people are known to have reacted negatively to a propaganda type of advertisement supplied by a.manufacturer. In the present study we were attempting to furnish basic in- formation about a series of products. It was important to learn whether the consumers would approve of this form of educational advertising, a phase which was measured as prefer- ence for commercials of this nature. REVIEW OF LITERATURE The United States Navy in connection with leading universities had conducted several studies on the effective- ness of television, kinescopes, and films in aiding the learning process. Kinescopic recordings were reported by Jackson (1952) to be superior to classroom.procedures for instructing an audience. These recordings were also found to be more effective than instructional films. When it was announced to an audience that they would view a kinescopic recording, the group, although viewing a normal film, pro- duced significantly higher results than a similar group viewing the identical film, and made aware that it was a nor- mal film. A comparison of the effectiveness of television, tele- vision recordings, and classroom procedures was made by Rock, Duva, and Murray (Not Dated, a.). Both television and tele; vision recordings were reported significantly more effective than normal classroom procedures. Television recordings were 16 per cent less effective than "live" television, and the recordings were ho per cent more effective than classroom procedures. A second report by Rock, Duva, and Murray (Not Dated, b.), was devoted to a study on the learning and retention of in- formation from television programs. Television instruction was found to be effective in producing statistically signi- ficant gains in knowledge. The retention of this information was found to be good after four to six weeks following the exposure. The relationship of the length and the quantity of information to the effectiveness of motion pictures was re- ported by Vincent, Ash, and Greenhill (l9h9). Increasing the length of exposure from 15 to 30 minutes and supplying twice the amount of information did not result in a proportionate increase in learning. The shorter program also proved more effective when it was compared to a program of similar length but containing twice the quantity of information. Significant decreases in information immediately fol- lowing exposure to information was reported by Hovland, Shef- field,and Lumsdaine (l9h9). A "sleeper effect" on changes in attitude was noticed first twelve weeks after exposure to information. A recent report by Hard and Watson (1953) suggested horticultural techniques for television. The drama, lecture, and discussion methods of presenting horticultural topics were tested through this medium. It was reported that the three types of presentation were of equal value for conveying horticultural material, but that the dramatic type of presen- tation had more audience appeal. The National Broadcasting Company in cooperation with the Schwerin Research Corporation of New York (1952) re- ported on methods of increasing the effectiveness of tele- vision commercials. Announcements were proven more effective when the audio and visual portions of a commercial advertise- ment were correlated, when each claim made by a sponsor was demonstrated, and when the programs were fairly simple in con- tent. PROCEDURE Overview Eight sections of university students enrolled in a course in Basic English were used for the testing program. Three testing sessions, a pre-test five days before exposure, a post-test immediately following exposure, and a recall test three weeks after exposure, were employed to determine the effects of exposure to information. Open-end questions (Appendix II) were employed to measure the results of information on learning and the retentive value of this information over a period of three weeks. A series of scales (Appendix II) were used for the measurement of attitude changes as a result of exposure to information. The Wilcoxin non—parametric paired replicate test and the analysis of variance test were then used to determine the significance of the results. Testing Procedure At normal classroom sessions of university students, the investigator introduced himself as a member of the Agri- cultural Communications Project. A brief outline of the study was given to each group attempting to obtain their ll fullest cooperation. Instructions (Appendix III) were read to the groups and clarified. Subjects Students enrolled in Basic English 113 at Michigan State College were used as subjects for the testing program. Eight sections, averaging twenty-five students each, were selected at random. Approximately 75 per cent of the students were freshmen and the remainder were sophomores. The male students slightly outnumbered the female students with a six to four ratio. Measuring Devices Information On professional advice of Dr. H. L. Dahnke, Michigan State College, open-end questions (Appendix II) were designed to measure the effectiveness of the productions on learning and the retention of this information. Attitude For the assessment of attitude and attitude change in this investigation, a novel instrument was employed. Essen- tially it was a by-product of Osgood's work (1952) in the measure of meaning. The system of measurement included the judgment of a particular concept along a series of seven-step descriptive scales, each defined by a pair of polar terms. III-lull!!! '1! I'll! ill. 12 A selected number of these scales were used as measures of attitude (Appendix II), the basis for selection being the results of a large-scale factor analysis study. The validity, reliability and objectivity of this method of attitude assess- ment was recently reported by Tannenbaum (l95h b). In the study mentioned above, two additional dimensions of meaning were isolated, tentatively identified as "potency" and "activity" factors. Measures of these two factors were also taken in the present experiment, although their results did not relate directly to any of the hypotheses under inves- tigation. Preference Measure An open-end question was used to obtain the student's reaction and preference immediately following exposure. The question read: What would be your opinion of these films if used as commercials on a television station? Design Three testing sessions, April 9, April 1h, and May 5, l95h, were scheduled at normal classroom meetings to obtain the required information. Pre-test The pre-test presented on April 9, was designed to obtain the beginning knowledge and attitude levels of the students 13 .m naeonpoaha no madame» on» now enduomxo Hanoapacpd oo>woooa > use >H wmfioaw mmndoaoooa op oomomko uoz u I: uMfia@hoooa on comonnm u H n It It H H K > an In M It It HHH omb oaeo thHosd .onzhnm moanduowo> couchm momom w mazgawma 28mm , mMDmome mZOHB<0HZDSZOO mom mqbaflflom mma H mumoa puoo pom m popdooom hHHHmAQHQLm map on omoao hao> *k* .0 22 oocmowmwflmwm mo Hoboa pcoo Lem H Unchom ** oommoamaswwm Ho Ho>oH pcoo nod m pcohom * ma.a Ho.m em. e um HH> No. ow. mm. d :H Hoppsoo mmomo MmMmmbz mm. oo.m ms.a : mm >H no. mo.H mm.a : :H Hoproo mmqm szomm ***o .H oo.m OH.N m am > ***o~.a N@.m mm.m m mm HHH m:.- me.a mo.m m :H Hoeseoo Mmb ssoo.a em.m in. m am > ssmm.a dN.N a:. m NH >H *$NN.H mm.m om. m Mm HH ao.- Hm. mm. m Hoepeoo - ammo **m0.N mm.m mm. m am > ssm.a as.m mm. m as sH maww.a Ho.m :5. m mm H AH.: Hm. me. m 2H Hospsoo , MBHQdDGM oonoaokmam aopmm oaowom opossum mpoonnsm H cmoz csoz use: pooaaoo mo Lonadz @5096 M Assumoawm mopm< haopwfinoEEH one oaomom mpazmom mo nomfianEoov mamma ZQHB¢EmomzH mma mo mequmm , HH.;mum49 .5!!! III. A slut, till}: lIsI l t IIIIIII I. l'll'ti RESULTS Information The Wilcoxin non-parametric paired replicate test was employed to determine the significance of results. The mean pro-scores were subtracted from the mean post-scores to de- termine the mean difference as a result of exposure to informa— tion. The control group in all instances did not produce sig- nificant changes in learning. The results in Table II showed that only two recordings produced a significant positive change in learning. The pro- duction on the use of roses was very close to the arbitrarily accepted five per cent level of significance. This change in learning was in the desired direction and very close to the generally accepted level, and therefore may be considered as a fairly significant change. Although increases in learning were reported by the productions dealing with frozen vegetables and nursery crops, the actual changes were not significant. Therefore hypothesis one was verified by two productions, and might be verified by one production that was very close to the accepted level of significance. The several factors believed to have been responsible for the insignificant re- sults will be discussed later. Fig. 3. Influence of exposure as indicated by immediate and recall tests for quality of roses. Fig. h. Influence of exposure as indicated by immediate and recall tests for care of roses. Fig. 5. Influence of exposure as indicated by immediate and recall tests for use of roses. Fig. 6. Influence of exposure as indicated by immediate and recall tests for frozen vegetables and nursery shrubs. 25 SCORES IN PERCENT USE OF ROSES ...... IIIIII 0000000 ...... nnnnnn ....... I IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII aaaaaaa IIIIIIII hhhhhhh OOOOOO oooooo ..... LEGEND counter. - - - - snoop 3 ............ O 5 IO IS 20 2 5 BEFORE AFTER RECALL TIME IN DAYS SCORES IN PERCENT FROZEN VEGETABLES AND NURSERY CROPS LEGEND CONTROL O ---- CONTROL 7 - — - _ GROUP 5 ............. GROUP 7 —— BEFORE AFTER TIME IN DAYS 26 The results presented in Table II demonstrated that in- creasing the quantity and the variety of exposure resulted in a proportionate increase in knowledge. Groups IV and V, receiving four and six minutes of exposure respectively, pro- duced significant increases in learning on all tests and therefore confirm hypothesis three. While Group V apparently improved the greatest on all tests, an analysis of variance test, did not indicate a significant difference between the groups. The results of each recording on information learned and retainedimre demonstrated in Figures 3, h, 5, and 6. All scores were changed to a percentage basis for purposes of comparison. Attitude The Wilcoxin non-parametric paired replicate test_was employed to determine the significance of a change in atti- tude and the direction of the change. The mean difference scores were determined by subtracting the mean pre-scores from the mean post-scores on all scales. The pre-attitude level was considered very favordile for all groups. In a recent study (Berninger, l95u) the average perception level of twenty five local florists was approximately equal to the level reached by the groups ex- posed to the recordings on roses. 27 The control group in all instances except on the Evalua- tive scale of the nursery crops test, produced significant decreases in attitude. This was believed to have been because of a lack of cooperation on the parts of the students, as a result of having had to repeat a long test within a short period of time. The results of this test indicated that only two signi- ficant changes in attitude occurred. Group V produced a significant positive change in attitude (five per cent level) for the "Rose" perception scale. This was the same group that received six minutes ofeaxposure and produced signifi- cant increases in learning. A significant negative change in attitude was produced by Group IV on the "Florist" perception scale. It was be- lieved that complete cooperation was lacking on the part of the viewers and resulted in a negative change. Changes in attitude and total perception toward the con- cepts judged by all other groups were not significant. The results indicated that hypothesis two was confirmed by Groups IV and V, although the former group was not believed a true indication of the students' reaction to exposure. A significant positive change in attitude was therefore demon- strated when exposure to information was increased to six minutes. 28 .pcmoAQHGMHm pom as: mndoaw Has 90% owndfio one ** .wcflsasoa Ga omsoaoca dd dozens masseuse on» we once you OH hampeEHNoamm< * mm... SA 3A m mm m , am: and Tan m n W amp" 3... mmé Ind n mm m _ 3.. am; and m 3 a .f $4 mad n ma N . smack of EA mmd n 2 m , um... oo.m 17m m 3 in . 3.- sum $.m m 8 a I EELS? *toocermmfiQ *HHwoom . hound. maozmn< spoonQSm use: ado: Geog poohaoo no nonEdz macaw Emma Addm No.35 cansao>whnb mo.oN pace pom HopOB o:.ma m:.mm mo.am HH.: peso mom am He mm 0 Hence 0 ma o o HH> m OH. 0 m H> oa e a H > H :H m o >H I o ma : H HHH . m NH 3 0 HH : ma : H H who3mn< mhoZmnd mHoZmfi< oapmsamsnpem canoao>sm manoao>shnb maozmdd :02: @5090 ZOHBmmbd ZOHZHAO .mszmabem Ema mo mBADmmm >H mum4a 31 to the recordings on roses. Significant changes in attitude did not occur on any of the scales tested. Preference After sampling the replies to the preference question, four categories of answers were apparent. The enthusiastic group consisted of those students showing the greatest de- gree of preference for the recordings by listing several an- swers for their decision. The favorable category was com- posed of those students indicating a preference for the re- cordings, but limiting their answers to a brief statement. The unfavorable group was composed of those students opposed to the use of these films for commercial purposes. A minority of students chose not to answer this question. They were classified with the unfavorable group in comparing the total number of viewers. A lack of cooperation was be- lieved responsible for the omission of answers to this question. The results presented in Table IV indicated a definite 'preference by the students for use of these recordings as commercials. They were strengthened when it was noted that increasing the exposure to information did not result in a decrease in preference. Students in Groups IV and V were better qualified to answer this question as a result of ex- posure to several recordings. The latter group produced sig- nificant results in both learning and attitude changes, and also responded with the highest percentage of most favorable replies. 32 Approximately 50 per cent of the unfavorable replies resulted from Groups VI and VII, the two groups that did not produce significant increases in their learning levels. The highest percentage of favorable replies resulted from those recordings that were successful in increasing the general level of knowledge. DISCUSSION Horticultural industries seem to have regarded the con- sumers as being fully cognizant of the availability and uses of most fruits, flowers, vegetables and ornamental crops. The present study demonstrated that very little horticultural information was possessed by a random selection of university students. This was an indication that horticultural indus— tries might be recommended to reverse their assumptions of the existing levels of knowledge of consumers. It must be realized that consumers have had thGIDPiVI- lege of accepting or disregarding information designed to increase their knowledge. Therefore, knowledge of the con- sumers' reaction to the presentation of information through short television announcements was very essential. The re- sults of this study have indicated to a purchaser of tele- vision advertising time, the potential effectiveness of simi- lar television recordings. As indicated in the results, television was effective in aiding the learning process, when exposure was only of short duration. A "captive" audience immediately absorbed a high percentage of information. In viewing television ap- parently a fully receptive audience might not be necessary for the absorption of information. 31; As exposure to information was increased to four and six minutes, proportionate increases in learning occurred. In light of these results there was an indication that exposure to several short commercials over a period of a few hours might also produce continual increases in learning. Of significant importance was the fact that a "captive" audience, after being exposed to only six.minutes of horti- cultural information, increased in favorable attitude. What was previously considered a favorable attitude toward roses resulted in a more favorable attitude. One previous study (Smythe, 195R) also reported the same correlation of knowledge and attitude. Manufacturers whose products had aroused unfavorable attitudes on the part of the public, through traditions aid misconceptions, might have been advised to alter their methods of advertising. As indicated in this study,an advertiser could have accomplished increases in both knowledge and atti- tude through informative commercials. Also many products entering competitive fields might have immediately created favorable attitudes through a well-informed public. The three programs on roses, although only of short impact, possessed sufficient impact to remain with the students for a period of three weeks. Significant changes in knowledge and attitudes were not reported. These results were not in com- -_«_. plete agreement with those of Hovlnnd, Sheffield, and 35 Lumsdmne (l9h9). It was possible that had exposure been increased beyond six minutes, the retention of information might have decreased. Increasing the exposure might have also resulted in a change in attitude had theggroups been retested 12 weeks later. To a sponsor the retention of knowledge and attitude levels might have indicated that continual reinforcement of the in- formation was not essential for at least a period of three weeks. A significantly large percentage of the students ex- pressed a desire for television commercials similar in nature to the programs viewed. This suggested that the public would accept information through this method of communication. All phases of the two minute productions studied.indi- catedthat they had a high potential in obtaining and sus— taining a more enlightened consumer. Advertisers were ad- vised to try "informative" television announcements for in- creasing the consumption levels of their products. CRITIQUE The importance of reinforcing learning with a strong clear summary was vividly demonstrated. In the recording "The Care of Roses," the performer omitted the use of a sharp knife in summarizing the discussion. Forty-five per cent of the students on the post-test and 75 per cent of the students on the recall test omitted this factor when answering the question. The production "Arranging Roses for Your Home," dis- cussed the various rooms of a home where flowers could be displayed. Two of the five rooms mentioned were not gener- ally considered by the consumer as normal rooms for displaying flowers. This production did not have a summary and the majority of the students listed only the familiar rooms in answering the question. Although there were no specific examples to illustrate it, weak summaries were believed to have been partially respon- sible for the insignificant results obtained from two of the five productions. These results of inadequate summaries were not believed limited to the medium of television or to horticultural topics of discussion. In the light of a report by Tannenbaum (l95h a), these results were not unexpected. Tannenbaum reported that 37 the retention of information was heightened when a summary of the discussion concluded each session. Advertising per- sonnel have basically used this samelphilosophy of continually reinforcing brand names in the minds of the consumers. The program."Why Frozen Vegetables," while of general interest, may have been considered directed more toward the women who normally purchase the household items. In a class of 2h students, the men outnumbered the women nineteen to five. The possibility existed that a lack of interest on the part of the male students may have influenced the results. The production "Planning Your Location for Shrubs" con- tained only one diagram in its use of visual aids. It was believed that more illustrative material might have emphasized the major points of discussion and heightened learning. The selection of professional actors may be advisable for production of horticultural programs. Previously it had been considered desirable to employ specialists in each area of horticulture, but it was found that with two minute produc- tions, a professional actor was adroit. When using professional performers, without the facilities of a script writer, it was suggested that the performer be consulted in order to facilitate his natural style and phrase- ology. The learning process was markedly heightened when visual aids highlighted the major points of each production. 38 It was found that careful consideration should be given to the color of materials and their reaction on the tele- vision gray scale. Briefing the camera crew was extremely important and cannot be overemphasized. Coordination between'hudio"and 'tideo"portions of television.was of prime necessity, espec- ially when "close ups" were desired. A full briefing session and several camera rehearsals were valuable to acquaint the crew with the programs. Even with two minute productions, it ‘was suggested that coordination be a strict requirement. It should be noted that only a few facts should be in- cluded in each production. The tendency to include too ‘many might often have retarded the learning process. SUMMARY Five two minute television programs relative to products representing three horticultural industries were produced and kinescoped. Three recordings were devoted to the quality, the care, and the use of roses. One recording was related to frozen vegetables and one to nursery crops. The testing program consisted of a pre-test, five days prior to exposure, a post-test, immediately following ex- posure, and a recall-test, three weeks after exposure. Eight sections of a basic English course, composed of approximately 25 students per section were used for the testing program. Open-end questions were selected for the measurement of knowledge, the retention of information, and the students preference for the recordings. A series of scales were chosen for the measurement of attitude. The Wilcoxin non-parametric paired replicate test and the Analysis of variance test, were used to measure the significance of results. The results of the tests showed that the beginning levels of knowledge on various horticultural topics were extremely low, while the beginning attitude levels were favorable. Two minute television programs were demonstrated to be effective in aiding the learning process. A significantly high percentage of information was immediately absorbed. ho Over a period of three weeks the retention of this informa- tion was excellent, with no occurrences of significant de- creases in knowledge. An audience exposed to six minutes of information, pro- duced a significant positive increase in attitude. When retested, three weeks following exposure, no significant ‘1 changes in attitude were found. ' .si‘F‘. 11118-39" A high percentage of the students viewing the two minute productions expressed a desire for their use as television i * commercials, in spite of the fact that the recordings were not completely professional in character. The learning and retention of information, as indicated in this study, was heightened by the reinforcement of informa- tion through a brief but strong summary. The general conclusion may be stated as follows: a series of two minute television announcements on roses were demonstrated to be effective in aiding the learning and re- tention of information, and in producing a significant in- crease in favorable attitude. toward the horticultural crop. I. II. III. APPENDIX Scripts Measuring Devices Testing Instructions I. SCRIPTS Determining_a Good Quality Rose Audio "If you were going to buy some roses, which of these would you choose? Which of them would give you the most value and the lasting pleasure? 1. .ur A.- m. was. '_ ._..n ~ _ "If I had to choose between these two, from the point of view of a florist, I would take this one, and there are three very definite reasons for my choice. "Notice on this rose how the petals are already spread as compared to this one which is just beginning to unfold. The spread of the petals shows approximately how old,or mature, a flower is. Under the same conditions this rose will last longer than the older one. The best choices in roses are those that are just beginning to unfold their petals. "Again you can see how the outside petals of this one have several areas that are just beginning to turn brown at the edges. This happens to all roses when they get older, so it is another way to determine the age and.quality of a rose. "Now compare the two roses again. You can see how this one droops while this one stands comparatively straight. As a rose matures it spreads its blossom and if the stem is weak it will droop and may even beeak off. A2 "While with a stem like this one, the rose can come to full maturity without the disappointment of having it droop so that the head is facing the floor rather than looking up. "This rose best illustrates the three points to look for, The petals are just beginning to unfold, there are no brown spots on their edges, and it has a straight, strong stem. A check of these three points will help you to get the best quality and longest pleasure from your rose purchases." The Care of Roses "How long can a rose live after it has been cut? Speaking as a florist, that is one of the questions that is asked of me many times. I can't say exactly because there are many vari- ables involved, but I can give you some hints that will keep them fresh and attractive longer. "As with all living things, a rose needs water. It gets water through this stem opening. But just putting them in water isn't enough. You see, by the time you have received them, certain substances have already formed on the cut that clog the cells and prevent the absorption of water. To over- come this and to make sure that water will enter each stem, you should take a sharp knife and cut the lower portion of each stem on an angle like this. As you can see by the chart, a out like this increases the absorbing surface of the stem, whereas a straight out will give you less than half the area. MB "Cutting the rose this way keeps the stem.from standing flat against the bottom of the vase. You can see by this chart how the rose always has free access to water. "When you make this cut it is quite important that you use a sharp knife. A dull knife, instead of cutting through the cells, will force its way through and squeeze them to- gether. This also prevents the intake of water. :r u 3.1 Minn-nu I- I .- "Another thing is to remove the leaves from the part of the stem that will be under water. If the leaves are left E i on they will begin to decay and contaminate the water. This will help to block the entrance to the cells in the stem. "By doing these two things,cutting the stem of the rose at an angle and with a sharp knife, and removing the leaves that would be underwater, you will be able to enjoy the beauty of your roses much longer." Arranging Roses for Your Home "There was a song going the rounds a few years ago that made us florists very happy. It was entitled ’One Dozen Roses'. The first line went something like this, 'Give me one dozen roses, put my heart in beside them, and send them to the one I love.’ Well, we could furnish the roses, but the:3ender had to provide his own heart. "Seriously, though, a dozen roses can be a problem. What shall I do with them? Shall I put them all in one arrangement or shall I divide them up and scatter the arrangements through the house? If you will permit an obvious answer, I shall do both. "Here I have arranged eight roses into a centerpiece that can be used for a dinner table. The only equipment you need for something like this is a low container, a pin I holder, and your own imagination. I say imagination because there is an infinite number of ways that flowers can be ar- ranged. I would add one word of caution though, keep your g I arrangements low so that you can see across the table without interference. Flowers were meant to add distinction to your table, not distraction. "The other four roses can be used in a different manner and for a different purpose, with the help of a small con- tainer or a bud vase like this one. For your own private en- joyment you could put one on your dresser and one in the kitchen. "It's nice to put one near the entrance to greet your guests and you could put the other rose on your coffee table or somewhere else where a touch of color and variety will add to the attractiveness of your setting. "With just a dozen roses you can add beauty, color, variety, and distinction to almost every room in your home." Frozen Vegetables "Have you ever heard of suspended animation? According to the dictionary suspended means to stop for a while, and 15 animation can be defined as life, so the phrase "suspended animation" would generally mean to stop life. Modern science has developed a way to do this with certain foods, and we in the vegetable business have taken advantage of this develop- ment to bring you our product at its best in flavor and nu- trition. "You see, just a few hours after harvesting, a vegetable literally begins to feed on itself so that it loses its flavor and nutrition. "Through the process of freezing, we are able to catch the vegetables at their peak before any breakdown starts. A very few hours after harvesting,each vegetable has been sorted, cleaned, and frozen solid, or placed in a state of suspended animation so that when it reaches your home it is capable of giving you the same satisfaction as a vegetable taken directly from the garden. "You will notice I sAid capable, because the cook plays a very important part in keeping this high quality. You see all vegetables are partially cooked before they are frozen, so it isn't necessary to cook a frozen vegetable the same length of time that you would usually cook a so-called fresh product. "Each package of frozen vegetables contains specific cooking directions to help make sure you will have a good- tasting vegetable for your dinner. Cooking them longer tnan the suggested time will only destroy the flavor and vitamin ”BM”‘ 3““..- hi. ." L . WE N6 content of your vegetables, so if you will follow the simple directions you will get complete satisfaction from each package." Planning Your Location for Shrubs "This is a landscape plan. By way of definition it might be said that landscaping a home is the science, or art, of arranging plants and shrubs around a house, both to ‘ I. O provide a setting and to accentuate the lines of the structure. "Literally, landscape gardening is like the frame of a picture. It defines the structure itself and provides for an easy transition for the eye from the surrounding lawn to the house. "Certain problems must be faced by a landscape planner that the builder doesn't have to worry about. For instance, a builder knows that a piece of lumber or a brick will keep its shape as long as it lasts. A plant or a shrub however, is a living thing and will continue to grow and develop its shape, so in planning I have to remember what size the plant will be at maturity. "Another thing to be remembered is that a plant grows underground as well as above, so that I have to allow for root space and proper drainage. And if plants are too close together they will compete for water and soil minerals, and even if one or the other doesn't die, neither of them will at- tain full size and give the effect that they are intended to give. LI? "You will notice on this plan the directional arrow pointing north. You must keep that continually in mind when you are planning your landscape, not only in the sense that most plants need sunlight to grow, but there are certain plants that grow better in the shade, such as Rhododendron, which I have placed on the north.side of the house. "On the south side of the house, where there will be more sunlight during the year, I have planned for Juniper and a dwarf Japanese Yew. This Yew tree must be planted at least three feet from the foundation of the house to allow enough space for rooteaxpansion and to give it enough ground to draw the necessary minerals it needs for life. "When you are planning to do some landscaping work, it is best to get advice from your nursery man, or to read one of the many books that have been written on this subject. "The principal points that are to be remembered then are the maximum size of the plants, underground as well as above ground, and the amount of sunlight a plant needs or does not need. By considering these things in the planning stage, you will be able to avoid disappointment and financial loss in arranging a setting for your home." Quality Question: Answer : Care Question: Answer: Use Question: Answer: II. MEASURING DEVICES Open-end Questions and Answers Please list the points you think make up a good quality rose. I The petals are just beginning to unfold. The absence of brown discolorations on the petals. A strong straight stem. In taking care of cut roses in your home, please list the things you would do to make them.last longer. Take a sharp knife and cut the lower one-inch off of each stem. Remove the leaves that normally would be under- water when placed in a container. Please list several possible places in your home where you might use or place one dpzen roses. Kitchen, bedroom, hallway, living room, dining room. Frozen Vegetables Question #1: Answer: Question #2: Answer: Nursery Crop§_ Question: E9 Which of the three --canned, frozen or store-fresh --vegetables will generally be highest in flavor, and nutrition when they reach your home? Why? Frozen. Because they are frozen solid be- fore internal breakdowns occur causing a loss in flavor and nutrition. Within a few hours after harvesting, they have been cleaned, sorted, and frozen. This all occurs before the many internal breakdowns have occurred. Mrs. Smith, who has been cooking for twenty- five years, never reads the directions on a package of frozen vegetables. Is she acting wisely? Why or why not? No. Frozen vegetables have been partially precooked, and consequently do not need to be cooked as long as a fresh product. Cook- ing longer than the specified time only re- sults in a loss in flavor and nutrition. Please list the things or points you need to keep in mind before purchasing shrubs and ' trees for your property. Answer: 50 Shrubs will continue to grow, both above and below ground. Be sure you know the maximum size they will reach before selecting shrubs for your home grounds. Crowding them will prevent their reaching mature sizes and giving you the desired effects. Not all shrubs require sunlight. Some even prefer the shade, so it is necessary to con- sider this when selecting shrubs and trees for your location. 51 Attitude Scales Concepts Judged Roses weak : : °____;____f____fl____° strong fragrant : ;____: : : {____: foul active : : :____: : : : passive stale : :____: : : : : fresh heavy : : : : : : : light pleasant ’ : : : : : : : unpleasant slow _____:__:___:___:____:___:____: fast dirty ____r____: : : : : : clean small : : : : : : : large expensive ____:____: : : :____f____: cheap valuable : : : : : : : worthless weak- fragrant active stale heavy pleasant slow dirty small expensive valuable fair weak worthless active pleasant small dishonest fast good rich Flowers Florist O. 52 strong foul passive fresh light unpleasant fast clean large cheap worthless unfair strong valuable passive unpleasant large honest slow bad poor weak expensive active bad heavy pleasant dull dirty small valuable weak expensive active bad heavy pleasant dull dirty small valuable Frozen Vegetables Shrubs O. O. 53 strong cheap passive good light unpleasant sharp clean large worthless strong cheap passive good light unpleasant sharp clean large worthless - III. TESTING INSTRUCTIONS Pre-test "At present we are attempting to obtain from University students, latent information concerning certain horticultural products. We would like your cooperation in answering a few simple questions." (Each Open-end question was then read and briefly clarified.) "The first phase of this questionnaire 1 consists of some open-end questions. i; i "The second phase of this questionnaire involves a dif- ferent type of question in which we are asking you to judge several concepts, according to a series of descriptive scales. Each scale, you will notice consists of two polar terms and seven boxes separating them." (The concepts were clarified by placing an example of this test on the blackboard.) "Re- member that we are asking you for your own personal opinion and not what you think you should indicate, or what your neigh- bor has already indicated. "Please place a checkmark in the center of each box and be sure each scale has received one and only one checkmark. We may wish to ask you some additional questions in the future, so please put a means of identification at the top of the page, your student number would be preferred. Remember we are interested in you as University students and not as personal individuals, so don't hesitate to indicate your true feeling." 55 Communications Exposure Egg. "You are about to see a short kinescopic re- cording of a television program.produced at the WKAR tele- vision studio." (The tests for this exam were not exposed to the groups at this time, nor was there any indication of one to follow.) ‘Eggtt "we would now like your cooperation again in answering a few simple questions. You will find them familiar “T‘fl swig “il’n‘rtinfll w and in case some of you have forgotten, the example of the scale test will be placed on the blackboard." Recall Test "The results of the previous questionnaires have‘been significant and prompted us to ask for your kind cooperation in extending this study. The United States Navy has studied the recall value of television as it applied to their own personnel. Generally 30 to 60 minute programsivere used in their studies. There is no information on the recall value of the type of programs that you previously viewed. "We would like y our cooperation once more in helping us to complete this study. Some of you may have forgotten how to use the scale questionnaire, so I'll place the original example on the blackboard. Please remember that we are re- questing your own personal feelings toward only the one con- cept this time." LITERATURE CITED AND ADDITIONAL REFERENCES A pilot study on the attitude level Berninger, L. M. 195k. Unpublished. of twenty-five florists. Edwards, A. L. 1951. Experimental design in psychological research. Rinehart and Co., Inc., New York. a Hard, G. C., and Watson, D. P. 1953. Horticultural techniques k for television. Quarterly Bulletin of the Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station, East Lansing,Michigan. Vol. 36, No. 2: 230-235. The television manual. Farrar, Straus, Hodapp, W. C. '1953. and Young, New York. Povland, C. 1., Sheffield, F. D., and Lumsdakma A. A. 19k9. Experiments in mass communications. Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey. Jackson, R. 1952. Learning from kinescopes and films. Department of Navy, Special Devices Center, Office of Naval Research, Port Washington, L. 1., N. Y. SDC Report-20-TV-l. Levenson, W. B., and Stasheff, n. 1952. Teaching through Rinehart and Co. Inc., New York. radio and television. National Broadcasting Company and Schwerin Research Corporation. 1952. How to increase the effectiveness of television commercials. National Broadcasting Company, New York. Osgood, C. E. 1952. Psychological Bulletin, May h9zl97-237. V Not Dated a. .L-J. The nature and measurement of meaning. Train- Rock, R., Duva, J. S., and Murray, J. ing by television, the comparative effectiveness of in- struction by television, television recordings, and class- Department of Navy, Special Devices room procedures. Center, Office of Naval Research, Port Washington, L. I., N. Y. SDC Report-k76-02-2. Training by , and . Not Dated b. Department television, a study in learning and retention. of Navy, Special Devices Center, Office of Naval Research SDC Report-k76-O2-3. Port Washington, L. I., N. Y. S7 Schramm, W. L. 19h8. Communications in modern research. University of Illinois Press, Urbana, Illinois. Smythe, D. W. 195k. Contents and effects of broadcasting. Mass Media and Education. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, Illinois. Chap. 9. Tannenbaum, P. H. 195M a. Indexing process in mass communi- cations. Private communication. . l95h b. Prediction and measurement of attitude change. Paper delivered at annual meeting, Midwestern Psychological Association, Columbus, Ohio, April 30, l95u. Vincent, W. 8., Ash, P., and Greenhill, L. P. 19h9. Relation- ship of length and fact frequency to effectiveness of instructional motion pictures. Department of Navy, Special Devices Center, Office of Naval Research, Port Washington, Lo Io, 1‘1. Yo SDC Report-269-7“?! Wilcoxin, W. S. 19h9. Some rapid approximate statistical procedures. American Cyanamid Co., New York. Wilson, M. C., and Moe, E. C. 1951 Effectiveness of television in teaching sewing practices. United States Department of Agriculture, Extension Service Circular No. N66. » . 1|. rub. .Il’,‘\V.V.-HI¢|I of! if I! . O #5:! 4‘ S m R A R m l- Y n S R E w N U E T All T“). mum