What is it about?
The current study investigated how young children's media preferences, specifically aggressive television/movies and video games, relate to early childhood behavior. We use data from twins and triplets, and their parents, to explore what role genetics may play in this relationship. By examining both "nature" and "nurture," our project aimed to further our understanding regarding the complex interplay between genetic factors and environmental experiences, like digital media exposure, as relevant to aggression in preschool-aged children.
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Why is it important?
Better understanding salient mechanisms of aggression in young children is crucial for early intervention, treatment, and better yet, prevention efforts. This study highlights the significant impact that both genetic and environmental factors have on behavior in early childhood. Furthermore, and importantly, our results are both supportive of a biological basis of behavior and also indicative of the salient influence of environmental experiences, like interacting with digital media. In identifying these factors, our research provides clinicians, parents, educators, and policymakers a valuable reminder about the influence of both "nature" (genes) and "nurture" (environment) for healthy development in childhood.
Perspectives
Our research speaks to the dynamic interplay of genetic influences and environmental factors, like digital media use, that shape human development in early childhood. Given the rapid evolution of digital technology use in contemporary society, like ever-increasing screen time for many individuals, including young children, and concerning findings that indicate a variety of detrimental physical, mental, and sociobehavioral outcomes are associated with inappropriate media use, like excessive screen time, further study into the use of digital technologies in childhood is a timely and needed topic of investigation.
Dr. Matthew Ryan Jamnik
Florida State University
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: A Multimethodological Study of Preschoolers' Preferences for Aggressive Television and Video Games, The Journal of Genetic Psychology, April 2018, Taylor & Francis,
DOI: 10.1080/00221325.2018.1454883.
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