Effects of video-game ownership on young boys' academic and behavioral functioning: a randomized, controlled study.
Young boys who did not own video games were promised a video-game system and child-appropriate games in exchange for participating in an "ongoing study of child development." After baseline assessment of boys' academic achievement and parent- and teacher-reported behavior, boys were randomly assigned to receive the video-game system immediately or to receive the video-game system after follow-up assessment, 4 months later. Boys who received the system immediately spent more time playing video games and less time engaged in after-school academic activities than comparison children. Boys who received the system immediately also had lower reading and writing scores and greater teacher-reported academic problems at follow-up than comparison children. Amount of video-game play mediated the relationship between video-game ownership and academic outcomes. Results provide experimental evidence that video games may displace after-school activities that have educational value and may interfere with the development of reading and writing skills in some children.
Weis
Robert
R
Department of Psychology, Denison University, Granville, OH 43023, USA. weisr@denison.edu
Cerankosky
Brittany C
BC
D000124:Achievement; D002648:Child; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007899:Leisure Activities / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D011932:Reading; D012919:Social Behavior; D018910:Video Games / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000523:psychology; D014956:Writing