The role of television advisories and ratings in parent‐child discussion of television viewing choices

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Abstract
This study examined the effect of violence advisories and MPAA ratings on both parent‐child television viewing choices and on their verbal interactions while making those choices. Seventy parent‐child dyads were videotaped while reading, discussing and filling out a TV Guide booklet. There were several pages in the booklet. One set of choices contained program descriptions of 3 violent shows with no advisory or rating; one set of descriptions contained 3 violent programs, one of which had an advisory; and a third set of program descriptions contained 3 violent programs, one of which had a “PG‐13” rating, while the other two had a “PG” rating. Parent‐child dyads disproportionately avoided programs with either advisories or more restrictive MPAA ratings. Parents mainly made negative comments about the advisories and restrictive ratings whereas children, especially older children, were more likely to make positive comments about the advisories and ratings. In addition, the presence of an advisory or MPAA rating appeared to place stress on the decision‐making process. Parents used more negative affect and less positive affect when discussing sets of violent programs where one program had an advisory or rating than when discussing violent programs where no advisory or rating was present. Children, on the other hand used more negative affect when discussing violent programs where one had an advisory or more restrictive MPAA rating but also used more positive affect when discussing programs with a restrictive MPAA rating.