The Relationship of Television Viewing at Home and Toddlers' Language Skills

The primary purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between toddlers' television viewing at home and their language skills. Two other variables, family socioeconomic status and mothers' levels of education, were included in order to examine if these two variables and the amount of toddlers' TV viewing at home were related to receptive and expressive language skills. Secondary data were used from the study, The Influence of Home and Child Care Environments on Toddler's Language and Literacy Skills, conducted at the University of Nevada, Reno.It is a reality that mass media play a major role in the lives of contemporary generations, but research is ambiguous about whether media, such as television, are beneficial or harmful to children's development. While a large amount of research has been conducted on the effects of television in the lives of children, relatively little of that research has explored the television viewing of infants and toddlers, particularly their language acquisition. This study found a significant relationship between television viewing and toddlers' receptive language scores. A regression analysis also showed significance in toddlers' receptive language skills when all three variables were included: amount of television viewing, family socioeconomic status, and mothers' level of education. On the other hand, results did not show any significance for toddlers' expressive language skills. Possible reasons for these findings are discussed.

Level thesis:degree_level

Master's Degree

Year dc:date.issued

2010

Author dc:creator

• Farias, Elsa

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Essa, Eva L

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Burnham, Melissa
• Bingham, Ann

Statement dc:rights

• In Copyright(All Rights Reserved)

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/11714/4446

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:scholarwolf.unr.edu:11714/4446