| Abstract: | Previous studies of the effects of telecision viewing on mentalabilities have shown mixed results, but most suffered from oneor more of the following shortcomings: a small or other-wiseunrepresentative sample, a cross-sectional rather than longitudinalapproach, and a failure to consider intervening variables betweentelevision viewing and cognitive skills. This study was designedto overcome these deficiencies by using nationally representativedata from the National Health Examination Cycle 2 and Cycle3 Surveys. These surveys included 1,745 children who were studiesboth when 6 to 11 years old (between July, 1963, and December,1965) and about four years later when 12 to 17 years old (betweenMarch, 1966, and March, 1970). Simple analysis at just one time-pointreveals substantial relationships between the amount of televisionviewing and depressed IQ and Wide Range Achievement Test (Readingand Arithmetic) scores of adolescents. When longitudinal controlsare added, however, these relationships become statisticallyinsignificant and substantively unimportant. Although thesedata are 20 years old, they indicate no significant causal relationshipbetween the amount of television viewed and the mental aptitudeand achievement test scores of adolescents, thus supportingand extending Gaddy's (1986) recent longitudinal study of anational sample of youth. |
