Washington, Sep 15 (IANS) Scientists have been gauging the effect of TV on young children ever since it lit up our drawing rooms. Comparing mother-child communication, a recent study has found that watching TV can minimize interaction between the two.


Amy Nathanson and Eric Rasmussen from Ohio State University focused on maternal responsiveness to reveal differences in the way mothers communicate with their children while engaged in books, toys and TV.

"When a mother and child are focusing on the same object, be that a book, toy or TV show, the mother's response can have an important impact on the child's understanding and self-perception," said Nathanson.

The authors explored the interactions of 73 mother-child pairs. The average mother was married, in her early 30s and had a bachelor's degree, while half were not employed. The children ranged in age from 16 months to 6 years.

The results demonstrated that mothers who co-read books communicated significantly more with their children than mothers watching TV.

By explaining and describing objects or new words and images, or by prompting a conversation through questions, maternal responsiveness can help to engage a child with the activity, the journal Human Communication Research reports.

"Mothers who are responsive to their infant's communication promote a positive self-perception for the child as well as foster trust in the parent," said Nathanson, according to an Ohio statement.

"If maternal responsiveness is absent, children learn that their environment is unpredictable and may become anxious," Nathanson said.