This article was downloaded by: [York University Libraries]On: 13 November 2014, At: 03:07Publisher: RoutledgeInforma Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number:1072954 Registered office: Mortimer House, 37-41 Mortimer Street,London W1T 3JH, UK

Journal of BroadcastingPublication details, including instructions forauthors and subscription information:http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/hbem19

Television and the olderadultRichard H. Davis a ba Publications Editor for the GerontologyCenter , University of Southern Californiab Ph.D. candidate in the Department ofTelecommunications , University of SouthernCaliforniaPublished online: 18 May 2009.

To cite this article: Richard H. Davis (1971) Television and the older adult,Journal of Broadcasting, 15:2, 153-160, DOI: 10.1080/08838157109363637

To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/08838157109363637

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RICHARD H. DAVIS

Television and theOlder Adult

Richard Davis is Publications Editor for the Gerontology Center atthe University of Southern California, and is a Ph.D. candidate inthe Department of Telecommunications in the same institution.

MUCH attention has been directed toward investigating the in-fluence of television in the lives of that large and willing audience,

the children. Another large and willing audience for television is onethat is more often overlooked—the elderly. Census figures for 1966indicate that there were then 18.5 million Americans age 65 andabove, representing approximately 9.4% of the total population.1

As the rate of longevity continually increases, it can be assumed thatthe 1970 census will reveal even a larger elderly population. As itis, the current age 65+ population exceeds the total population ofthe 20 smallest states. This is a significant audience. It is for thepurpose of investigating the place of television in the lives of anolder audience that this study was conducted.

Methodology

A questionnaire was distributed to members of the AmericanAssociation of Retired Persons (age ranges 55-80) all living in greaterLong Beach, California. The sample was chosen from those livingin private housing, since such living accommodations, rather thannursing homes, retirement communities, etc., are representative ofthe norm for the age category.2 The survey was taken in Decemberof 1969 when it was felt that the new viewing season had beensufficiently established for viewing habits to be fairly stabilized.

© JOURNAL OF BROADCASTING, VOL. XV, No. 2 (Spring 1971)

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Slightly more than 350 questionnaires were distributed to partici-pants at "The Institute of Lifetime Learning" in Long Beach.Almost 50%, or 174, were returned. Eight of these returns provedto be useless, since the respondents did not own television sets.This made 166 the base number for tabulation purposes. No follow-up study was made to determine how non-respondents differ fromrespondents. Questionnaires were coded for data processing; punchcards were made and fed to an IBM sorter for numerical analysis.The questionnaire dealt with four areas: (1) demographics, (2)television use and viewing habits, (3) program preferences, and(4) attitudes and opinions. A total of thirty questions was asked.The project was regarded as an exploratory effort, concernedprimarily with obtaining a quantitative description of findings thatcould lend itself to some interpretation. More important, some im-plications were identified and questions were generated.

Results

The study population. The 174 elderly respondents consisted of39 males and 135 females. This disparity reflects not only thegreater number of females in the elderly population, but also thedemonstrated tendency for the wife in the family unit to honorrequests for information such as this questionnaire. 74% of the studypopulation was over the age of 66. That 28% of the study popu-lation was over the age of 75 further emphasizes the fact that theresults reflected the orientation to television of a large group ofpeople who, unlike that other captive audience, the children, havelong ago formed their personalities and relationships with environ-mental factors. 54% of the population lived alone. A demographicfactor not representative of the general aged population was theeducation level. This sample population evidenced 53% claimingadditional education beyond high school. It can be assumed thatthese demographics, among others, help to influence viewing habitsand attitudes.

Viewing habits. An overwhelming majority (75%) of viewersindicated that they watched television five hours or less per week.Since the weekly average according to the December, 1969, Neilsennational survey is 26:52 hours for males over 50 and 33:33 for

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TELEVISION AND THE OLDER ADULT 155

females over 50,3 one may question this response. In other respects,the older population reported a viewing pattern quite similar tothat of the national trends as reported by Nielsen. Viewing waslowest in early morning and built rapidly toward the middle of theday. By evening the older audience had doubled its size, reachingits peak between 8 and 9 p.m. Viewing trends by days of the weekalso reflected national norms.

Program preferences. The elderly viewers were asked to chooseand rank their three top preferences from a list of ten programtypes.4 Respondents indicated their three top choices of programtype to be: (1) news and public affairs, (2) educational programs,and, (3) travelogues. As a check against this, respondents werealso asked to list by title (or starring personality) their favoriteshows. These specific indications were then catagorized into thesame ten program types presented earlier to the respondents. In thislatter instance the three top choices as identified by specific listingwere (1) news and public affairs, (2) music and, (3) drama.

Of the top 15 programs listed by Nielsen in the 1969 nationalsurvey, only four were listed by the elderly as being among their toppreferences. These four were: "Bonanza," "Red Skelton," "Mayberry,RFD," and "Gunsmoke."5 The elderly sample was asked in anotheropen-end question to list their favorite television performers andpersonalities. A wide variety of responses (246 separate names)indicated no clear-cut viewer favorite. However, receiving 10% ormore of viewer recognition were Lawrence Welk, Bob Hope, WalterCronkite and George Putnam, a local newscaster.

Audience opinion. Respondents were asked to make subjectiveevaluations on aspects of television in their lives. A majority of64.5% classified television as being "satisfactory" to them. Thecompanionship service of television was recognized by 63.3% mostof whom termed this a moderate to strong function. Older viewersoverwhelmingly (77.7%) denied the influence of television ad-vertising on their buying habits.

A comparison between the 1968 Roper national sample (145total mentions) and the current study (158 total mentions) onselection of sources of most news indicated a similarity in rank

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ordering of television, newspapers, radio, and magazines as first,second, third and fourth choice respectively. A disparity in the twosamples existed in the proportion of persons using radio as a primarynews source. Significantly fewer of the elderly indicated that theyutilized this source. When asked if the image of older persons waspresented factually and honestly on television, the majority (44.6% )of those who answered the question indicated that it was. Exceptionwas taken to the presentation of the older person in commercials,with 48.7% indicating negative response to this image.

The audience sampled was given an opportunity through anopen-end question to identify areas of programming they foundless than satisfactory. There were three areas of lack which couldbe catagorized from their statements: educational, musical andphilosophical (that is, programs dealing with problem-solving tech-niques and concerns with various aspects of the human condition).Another open-end question allowed for the specification of programmaterials judged to be objectionable by the elderly respondents. 48%of the sample indicated objections to program content. Violence, sex,commercials, and "over-exposure" of minorities were the prevalentobjections. Finally, the older audience indicated a feeling that theirneeds, as they saw them, were not adequately met through currenttelevision programming. They requested more information, but inmost cases were vague as to the specific information needed.

Discussion

Any segment of the audience brings to the viewing situation itsown particular set of biases and social and psychological conditioning.Results of this survey of this sample verified previous researchdemonstrating that an elderly audience tends to accept televisionand to depend on it to serve companionship and information functionsin their lives.6 Additionally, there is evidence to support a conten-tion that it serves to separate the day into meaningful time segments.The study also revealed that in areas of opinion and attitude aswell as viewing patterns this elderly sample reflected, but did notcompletely coincide with national norms. In the area of programpreferences what may be an age-related difference was indicated.

The conclusions to be reached from such an inquiry and, moreespecially, the implications, are of much greater interest than the

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TELEVISION AND THE OLDER ADULT 157

gross figures and raw data generated by the study. Here is anaudience representative of a large group of people who have livedthrough many, many sociological and technological changes withtelevision being a comparatively recent environmental influence intheir lives. It might be expected that attitudes and opinions abouttelevision as well as the use of television in general would reflecta very different orientation than would be representative of a muchyounger sample. But how much of a "generation gap" does exist?

The older population reported a set of viewing patterns similar,if not identical, to national norms. Behavioral patterns which are notidentified with "old age" are more acceptable in our society; thecontinuance of middle age activities and attitudes is encouraged.7

Television viewing is one activity that can be easily carried frommiddle age into old age without drastic curtailment.

Other studies8 have demonstrated the older audience's preferencefor news and public affairs programs. The older adult in the presentstudy indicated a desire to "keep up with things." Marginal (and un-solicited) commentary abounded, indicating a preference for what theolder audience could identify as relevant and meaningful in programs.This attitude is reflective of a sample which may not be completelyrepresentative of the total elderly population. The respondents werelargely self-selective and were taken from a large group of com-paratively well-educated, active and involved senior citizens. Never-theless, the popular and often erroneous concept of the elderly asa group consciously disengaging and withdrawing from social in-volvement is not supported by the responses given in this survey.However, these older adults do not respond that the prevalentthemes of romantic love and violence, both strongly related to youth,are of interest to them; they indicate that much of what they areoffered on television is irrelevant and not pertinent to their lives. Thusthey choose to watch current news and factual programs such astravelogues and documentaries. For escape viewing they preferthose comedy figures who represent "the good old days": Skelton,Benny, Hope and "Lucy" Ball.

The older audience has been labeled "embracers,"9 viewers whoaccept without excessive question or criticism all that is offered ontelevision. Although respondents in the present sample voiced gen-eral dissatisfaction with programming and subject matter available

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158 JOURNAL OF.BROADCASTING

on television, by and large they confirmed such a labeling. Morethan half of the sample indicated that they were satisfied with television,then they proceeded to detail dissatisfactions. This is not so incon-gruous as it may seem. The audience evidently felt that whateverits faults, having television is more satisfactory than not havingit. Still, like all viewers, they had complaints. Most complaints werepredictable and perhaps can be explained by the conditioning thatstems from exposure to social criticism. Everyone has been indoc-trinated; violence and sex are "bad"; therefore, television is badwhen it deals with violence and sex. At least it seems that theseolder viewers are prone to accept this reasoning.

An additional cultural bias may reflect both the age category andthe socio-economic category of the survey sample. A significantpercent of respondents identified Negroes and "hippies" as beinggiven more television coverage than they felt was warranted. Thesocial order is not static. Perhaps the threat of change is greaterfor an older population. It would be interesting to compare theattitudes toward these and other aspects of television with those ofa much younger group in the same community.

In addition, respondents apparently accepted the visual and be-havioral definition of older people as they appear in current televisionformats. An interesting speculation is that people are molded to agreat extent by the media that serves them. Identity is derived inpart from definitions society provides. As the housewife or teenageris influenced to adapt herself to the image of her counterpart thatshe sees portrayed on the television screen, so might the elderly per-son relate positively to the image presented of himself. Information(and character definition is information) gains legitimacy through ex-posure via mass media. In a developmental stage such as old agewhere our society has not established set behavior norms, anavailable and powerful source of reference will be television. In-vestigation has been devoted to the influence of violence on behavior;one may wonder what are the more subtle, but more pervasive in-fluences on behavior patterns in audiences who are seeking roledefinition.

Finally, this older audience requested more programming of aninformative or educational nature. Perhaps this more mature audienceattributes greater value to that which can be readily identified as

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TELEVISION AND THE OLDER ADULT 159

practical information rather than that which seems to have only anentertainment function. What opportunity has an older audience tohave communicated to them information about Social Security,Medicare, recreation availability and so forth? A Seseme Street maygive four-year old viewers some valuable tools for living. Where isa Sunset Street to give similar tools to a 74-year old?

Footnotes1 Brotman, H. B., Memorandum from Administration on Aging, October 28,

1966, Washington, D.C.2 Brotman, H. B., A Profile of the Older American, paper presented at the

Conference on the Consumer Problems of Older People at the Hudson Guild-Fulton Center, New York City, October, 1967.

3 A. C. Nielsen Company, Nielsen TV 1970, Media Research Division, Chi-cago, Ill. 1970. (The Los Angeles office of the A. C. Nielsen Company esti-mates that the September, 1970, national average of weekly viewing for alladults over 50 is 30 hours.)

4 The ten program types were arbitrarily defined as: comedies, documen-taries, dramas, educational or instructional programs, movies, news and publicaffairs, sports, "specials," travelogues, and variety shows.

5 Although it would be interesting to make additional comparisons of olderaudience preferences with a wider local sample, useable local market demo-graphics for an over 50 age group audience are not provided as part of theregular Nielsen station index of average television audience estimates. Nor isthere an attempt to break down on a local basis the "top 15" favorites, theassumption being that they will coincide in this market with the national rank-ing.

6 Few in-depth studies have been made of this aspect of audience survey.Several researchers have incorporated information regarding the older audienceinto related research problems. Of most significance are these:Glick, I. D. and S. J. Levy. Living with Television. Chicago: Aldine Publish-

ing Company, 1962.Myersohn, R. B. "A critical examination of commercial entertainment," in

R. W. Kleemeier, (Ed.), Aging and Leisure. New York: Oxford UniversityPress, 1961.

Schalinsie, T. F. "The Role of Television in the Life of the Aged Person." Un-published doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University. Dissertation Abstracts,1968. 29 (3, pt. 1) 989-990.

Steiner, G. A. The People Look at Television. New York: Alfred A. Knopf,1963.

Tennant, F. B., Jr. "A Descriptive Estimate of the Adequacy of Network Tele-vision Service to Older Viewers." Unpublished masters thesis, University ofSouthern California, 1965.7 Glick and Levy, op. cit., 55.8 See especially: Tennant, op. cit. and Steiner, op. cit.9 Glick and Levy, op. cit., 46.

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