A study tested the effectiveness of ridicule as an educational and social corrective in children's educational television programs. Arbitrary activities involving a novel object were presented to 69 four-year-old and 83 six-year-old children via videotaped presentations and demonstrations. In each of three types of motivational message (ridicule, command, suggestion), a highly specific action was discouraged, another was encouraged, and a third was unmotivated. Subject gender was employed as an additional factor. The frequency with which subjects played with the novel object as discouraged, encouraged, and unmotivated was assessed. Four-year-old children consistently responded most effectively to correction when commands were given. In contrast, six-year-old children were most responsive to ridicule, followed by suggestion. (Author/RL)