The Impact of Background Television on Parent-Child Interaction

Authors: Kirkorian, Heather L.¹; Pempek, Tiffany A.¹; Murphy, Lauren A.¹; Schmidt, Marie E.; Anderson, Daniel R.¹

Source: Child Development, Volume 80, Number 5, September/October 2009 , pp. 1350-1359(10)

Publisher: Blackwell Publishing

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Abstract:

This study investigated the hypothesis that background television affects interactions between parents and very young children. Fifty-one 12-, 24-, and 36-month-old children, each accompanied by 1 parent, were observed for 1 hr of free play in a laboratory space resembling a family room. For half of the hour, an adult-directed television program played in the background on a monaural television set. During the other half hour, the television was not on. Both the quantity and quality of parent-child interaction decreased in the presence of background television. These findings suggest one way in which early, chronic exposure to television may have a negative impact on development.

Document Type: Research article

DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-8624.2009.01337.x

Affiliations: 1: University of Massachusetts, Amherst

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