Abstract
Subjects were 3and 5-year-old children who were observed watching television in the presence of an audiovisual slide distractor in groups of one, two, or three viewers. Peers viewing the TV together influenced each other's behavior in a synchronized fashion: When one child looked at the TV, looked at the distractor, or demonstrated overt involvement with the TV, the other child tended to do the same thing. This peer influence occurred above and beyond the dynamic common organizing influence of the TV program itself. There was little evidence that a given child consistently led another, nor were there effects of same-sex versus cross-sex pairings of viewers. The watching of television by young children is interpreted in the results as an active transactional process among the viewer, the TV, and the TV-viewing environment.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
