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Infants' Attention and Responsiveness to Television Increases With Prior Exposure and Parental Interaction
Article first published online: 1 JAN 2008
DOI: 10.1080/15250000701779378
2008 International Society on Infant Studies
Additional Information
How to Cite
Barr, R., Zack, E., Garcia, A. and Muentener, P. (2008), Infants' Attention and Responsiveness to Television Increases With Prior Exposure and Parental Interaction. Infancy, 13: 30–56. doi: 10.1080/15250000701779378
Publication History
- Issue published online: 3 FEB 2010
- Article first published online: 1 JAN 2008
- Abstract
- References
- Cited By
This study examined the relation between early television exposure and parental interaction style during infant-directed television programs on 2 outcomes: infant looking time and infant responsiveness. By quasi-experimental design half of the 12- to 18-month-old infants had prior exposure to the program content and the other half did not. Cluster analysis based on parental verbalizations revealed 3 types of parental coviewing style: high, medium, and low scaffold. Looking time was significantly higher for infants previously exposed to these videos than for those who were not. Infant looking time was also significantly higher, and infants responded more, when parents provided high levels of scaffolding in the form of questions and labels or descriptions. The results suggest that both prior exposure and parental style are associated with infant attention and responsiveness to television and have important implications for both parents and television producers.