The influence of television and video game use on attention and school problems: A multivariate analysis with other risk factors controlled

doi:10.1016/j.jpsychires.2010.11.010

Journal of Psychiatric Research

Volume 45, Issue 6, June 2011, Pages 808-813

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2010.11.010 Get rights and content

Abstract

Background

Research on youth mental health has increasingly indicated the importance of multivariate analyses of multiple risk factors for negative outcomes. Television and video game use have often been posited as potential contributors to attention problems, but previous studies have not always been well-controlled or used well-validated outcome measures. The current study examines the multivariate nature of risk factors for attention problems symptomatic of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and poor school performance.

Method

A predominantly Hispanic population of 603 children (ages 10–14) and their parents/guardians responded to multiple behavioral measures. Outcome measures included parent and child reported attention problem behaviors on the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) as well as poor school performance as measured by grade point average (GPA).

Results

Results found that internal factors such as male gender, antisocial traits, family environment and anxiety best predicted attention problems. School performance was best predicted by family income. Television and video game use, whether total time spent using, or exposure to violent content specifically, did not predict attention problems or GPA.

Interpretation

Television and video game use do not appear to be significant predictors of childhood attention problems. Intervention and prevention efforts may be better spent on other risk factors.

Section snippets

Participants

Participants include 603 youth from a small city in South Texas (see Ferguson et al., 2009). Youth included in the present study ranged in age from 10-14, with a mean age of 12.35 (SD = 1.34). The majority of youth in the present study were Hispanic in ethnicity (96.8%). This sample was approximately equal in numbers of males (n = 309, 51.2%) and females (n = 294, 48.8%). The current sample is a general sample of youth, not an at-risk sample. In regards to ethnicity, income, country of birth

Results

Results for bivariate correlations between measures are presented in Table 2. Table 3 presents the standardized regression coefficients and 95% confidence intervals (for significant coefficients) for all variables in the three regression equations. For attention problems as reported by the child significant correlates included mental health problems such as depression (β = .18), anxiety (β = .32) and antisocial traits (β = .17), as well as negative relations with adults (β = .14) and

Discussion

Results from the current study suggest that attention problems are predicted most accurately by intrinsic factors such as anxiety, antisocial traits and male gender, as well as by delinquent peers and negative associations with adults. Anxiety symptoms, in fact, appear to be one of the strongest and most consistent risk factors for attention problems. This may be because the rumination symptoms of anxiety interfere with attention. For GPA, it appears that wealthier families are better able to

Role of funding source

No external funding source. All funding is through state of Texas via local university research grants (less than $10000).

Contributors

Christopher J. Ferguson, Ph.D.

Conflict of interest

None declared.

Acknowledgement

None.

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The influence of television and video game use on attention and school problems: A multivariate analysis with other risk factors controlled

Abstract

Background

Method

Results

Interpretation

Section snippets

Participants

Results

Discussion

Role of funding source

Contributors

Conflict of interest

Acknowledgement

Psychiatric Clinics of North America

Manual for ASEBA school-age forms & profiles

The comorbidity of ADHD in the general population of Saudi Arabian school-age children

Journal of Attention Disorders

The effects of TV program pacing on the behavior of preschool children

AV Communication Review

Consensus statement on ADHD

European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry

Delinquent peer group formation: evidence of a gene x environment correlation

The Journal of Genetic Psychology: Research and Theory on Human Development

Family-environment risk factors for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder: a test of Rutter’s indicators of adversity

Archives of General Psychiatry

The longitudinal course of comorbid oppositional defiant disorder in girls with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: Findings from a controlled 5-year prospective longitudinal follow-up study

Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics

Video games in psychotherapy

Review of General Psychology

Early television exposure and subsequent attentional problems in children

Pediatrics

Videogames and young people with developmental disorders

Review of General Psychology

Increasing speed of processing with action video games

Current Directions in Psychological Science

Violent video games and aggression: Causal relationship or byproduct of family violence and intrinsic violence motivation?

Criminal Justice and Behavior

A multivariate analysis of youth violence and aggression: the influence of family, peers, depression, and media violence

The Journal of Pediatrics

Blazing angels or resident evil? Can violent video games be a force for good?

Review of General Psychology