Differential effects of television programming on preschoolers' cognition, imagination, and social play.
Three groups of preschoolers were exposed over two weeks to daily programs of Misterogers Neighborhood, Sesame Street, or a control series of nature and animal films. Specific hypotheses about the effects of program format upon recall of content and upon subsequent behavior were tested. The apparently more slow-paced format and other characteristics of Misterogers were found to yield positive changes, especially for less imaginative children, in imaginative play, affect, concentration, and social interaction.
D001288:Attention; D002652:Child Behavior; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003071:Cognition; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007092:Imagination; D007360:Intelligence; D008297:Male; D011939:Mental Recall; D010988:Play and Playthings; D012919:Social Behavior; D013690:Television