Associations Between Television Exposure and Executive Function Among 12-18-Month-Old Infants

• In Event: Early Years, Early Media

Abstract

Despite concerns about the potential negative impact of exposure to television during the early years of development, there is little research conducted on infants. There is speculation that television exposure at young ages might harm children’s executive function (EF). We explored the relations between television exposure and EF among 12-18-month-old children, using parent reports of infant media exposure and observations of infant performance on EF tasks designed for infants. We found that exposure to the American public television network, PBS, was related to better EF performance. Exposure to more background television in the home and more viewing of commercial networks and videos aimed at babies were related to worse EF performance. We observed that infants displaying a fussier temperament during our assessment were less likely to watch PBS and more likely to watch entertainment, network television. These results are discussed in light of research showing similar trends among older children.

Authors

• Amy Nathanson, Ohio State U

• Ine Beyens, U of Amsterdam