This exploratory study of the effects of the new visual communications media imagery (e.g., video games, digital television, and computer graphics) on the visual perception process is designed to provide a theoretical framework for research, introduce appropriate research instruments for such study, and experiment with the application of biometric instruments in testing the effects of computerized television pictures. The study reviews the empirical findings of the composition of such images, considers their potential effects on heavy viewers, discusses the most suitable research instruments for their study, and reports the results of a pilot study which used biometric research instruments to test the effects of computerized television pictures on viewer comprehension and retention. Although the nature of this study precludes the drawing of scientific conclusions, it is suggested that technologically more advanced and more suitable research instruments need to be used for the study of hidden effects. It is also argued that such key factors as the shape, direction, and motion of objects appearing within the visual space are crucial to the study of viewer comprehension and retention of computerized visual images. A 39-item reference list is provided and summaries of data from the study are appended. (MES)