Effects of camera cuts and music on selective attention and verbal and motor imitation by mentally retarded adults.

Effects of experimentally manipulating camera cuts (high vs. low frequency) and music (present vs. absent) on total and selective visual attention to and imitation of prosocial TV programs were examined. Subjects were 96 adults (mean IQ = 46). Within programs, selective viewing of content features (dialogue, distress, helping, and reinforcement) and media features (music, cuts, zooms, and scene changes) were examined. Subjects selectively attended to cuts and zooms and all four content features. High-cuts frequencies in a program reduced selective attention and subsequent verbal imitation. There were no significant effects for music.