Does Watching Television Really Affect Cognitive Development in Young Children?

• Main Author: Knowledge@SMU
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Institutional Knowledge at Singapore Management University 2008
• Subjects: Business; Human Resources Management
• Online Access: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/ksmu/117; https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1116&context=ksmu
• Institution: Singapore Management University

Is a preschool child who spends many hours in front of the television deprived of enriching experiences and healthy activities that facilitate brain development? Joint research by economics professors Huang Fali of Singapore Management University and Lee Myoung-jae of Korea University investigated the effects of watching television on the cognitive development of children by analysing math and reading scores of children aged 8-9 years, and how these related to their television-watching patterns at 6-7 years of age. Their research yielded some surprises.