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Robinson describes the Leisure Activity Survey, a large national sample data set collected in 1982 by the Bureau of the Census for the National Endowment for the Arts. He shows selected preliminary findings and goes on to suggest several other uses of the data set.

The enriched data on culture and leisure presented in chapter 10 of Social Indicators, 1976 support both the hypotheses of massification of leisure (through increasing availability of free time and through greater use of this time for the mass culture of television) and of democratization of leisure (through increasing attendance at sports events and performing arts and through increasing dissemination of knowledge and books on the arts). Many problems with available indicators of leisure participation and spectatorship are identified from the perspective of time diaries of how Americans spend the full 24 hours of their day. The lack of trend data on the arts to parallel those presented in chapter 10 on the humanities and sciences is noted, along with the need to present social indicator data in some form of input-output context. Possible candidates for future leisure and culture indicators include: monetary expenditures for leisure goods and services, available data on television viewing habits and program content, the satisfactions and pressures associated with time uses, accessibility of leisure facilities, conversational content and personal contemplation about leisure, and an inventory of "experiences" to which individuals have been exposed.

The enriched data on culture & leisure presented in chapter 10 of Social Indicators, 1976 support both the hypotheses of massification of leisure (through increasing availability of free time, & through greater use of this time for the mass culture of TV) & of democratization of leisure (through increasing attendance at sports events & performing arts, & through increasing dissemination of knowledge & books on the arts). Many problems with available indicators of leisure participation & spectatorship are identified from the perspective of time diaries of how Americans spend the full twenty-four hours of their day. The lack of trend data on the arts to parallel those presented in chapter 10 on the humanities & sciences is noted, along with the need to present social indicator data in some form of input-output context. Possible candidates for future leisure & culture indicators include: monetary expenditures for leisure goods & services, available data on TV viewing habits & program content, the satisfactions & pressures associated with time use, accessibility of leisure facilities, conversational content & personal contemplation about leisure, & an inventory of "experiences" to which individuals have been exposed. 4 Tables, 4 Charts. Modified HA.

Whatever improvements have taken place in political reporting, the voting public has become increasingly critical of press performance. Primarily because of the lack of adequate feedback mechanisms, reporters still fail to rec ognize how their views of politics differ from those of the voter. Greatest use of the media is made by the portion of the public most attentive to politics, and the newspaper rather than television seems to be the most effective of the political media. While the research literature has tradition ally indicated that media serve a reinforcement function rather than a change agent function, instances of the polit ical impact of the media are being documented with increas ing frequency. The more significant role that the media play at the elite levels of politics has received little systematic research attention. Such research attention might well allow reporters to be more resistant to manipulation by public officials and also to bring voters more closely into the re alities of the political process.

Research subsequent to the classic statement of a 2-step flow-of-influence hypothesis has isolated a number of inaccuracies in the hypothesis as originally formulated. Analysis of a question series on interpersonal influence, included in the 1968 national election study of the Center for Political Studies, reveals further difficulties with the hypothesis. These analyses further suggest the existence of 2 distinct patterns of mass media & interpersonal influence at work in separate segments of the electorate. One process operates solely through interpersonal channels, in which the mass media's role is unclear. The 2nd proceeds directly through exposure to the mass media, particularly newspapers. Some ways in which the study results are consistent with the original hypothesis are discussed. 3 Tables, 2 Figures. AA.