Individual Differences in Television Viewing in Early Childhood: Nature as Well as Nurture

Although there has been a tremendous outpouring of research on the consequences of children's television viewing, little is known about the causes of individual differences in television viewing, which is one of the major activities of childhood. We present results from the first parent-offspri...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Psychological science 1990-11, Vol.1 (6), p.371-377
Main Authors: Plomin, Robert, Corley, Robin, DeFries, J. C., Fulker, D. W.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adopted Children
Adoptive parents
Behavioral genetics
Biological Factors
Childhood
Children
Colorado
Genetics
Medical genetics
Mothers
Parents
Siblings
Television Viewing
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Summary:Although there has been a tremendous outpouring of research on the consequences of children's television viewing, little is known about the causes of individual differences in television viewing, which is one of the major activities of childhood. We present results from the first parent-offspring and sibling adoption analyses of individual differences in time spent watching television in early childhood, and we consider IQ and temperament as possible mechanisms of genetic influence. The sample consisted of over 220 adopted children studied at 3, 4, and 5 years of age, the complete sample of probands from the Colorado Adoption Project. Also assessed are the adoptees' biological and adoptive parents, matched nonadoptive families, and younger adoptive and nonadoptive siblings. Both the parent-offspring and sibling adoption designs yielded evidence for significant genetic influence on individual differences in children's television viewing. Neither IQ nor temperament appear to be responsible for this genetic influence.
ISSN:0956-7976
1467-9280
DOI:10.1111/j.1467-9280.1990.tb00244.x