A History of the POWERHOUSE Evaluation.

This report describes the evaluation activities associated with the development and production of POWERHOUSE, a motivational television series designed to help 8- to 12-year-old children take active, personal responsibility for their own health and well being. The evaluation of POWERHOUSE was divided into two major sections: the Writers' Notebook and original formative research. The Notebook consisted of a literature review and analysis. The first task accomplished by the original research was to establish the health knowledge information base that target age children would bring to their viewing of the series. Focus-interviews with children and follow-up questionnaires, using a larger sample, provided information on knowledge of drugs, sex, body systems, and general health and nutrition. The next evaluation procedure was to assess the reactions of children, teachers, and youth leaders to narrative versions of three different scripts. At the same time that the script treatments were tested, pictures and brief character descriptions of potential series regulars were also evaluated. In November of 1980, a market test of the pilot series was conducted in a representative demographic market, Toledo, Ohio. An 85-item bibliography is attached. (Author/LLS)

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