Screen‐time influences children's mental imagery performance

Tags:

Suggate, S. P., & Martzog, P. (2020). Screen‐time influences children's mental imagery performance. Developmental Science, 23(6). doi:10.1111/desc.12978

Abstract

Mental imagery is a foundational human faculty that depends on active image construction and sensorimotor experiences. However, children now spend a significant proportion of their day engaged with screen‐media, which (a) provide them with ready‐made mental images, and (b) constitute a sensory narrowing whereby input is typically focused on the visual and auditory modalities. Accordingly, we test the idea that screen‐time influences the development of children's mental imagery with a focus on mental image generation and inspection from the visual and haptic domains. In a longitudinal cross‐lagged panel design, children (n = 266) aged between 3 and 9 years were tested at two points in time, 10 months apart. Measures of screen‐time and mental imagery were employed, alongside a host of control variables including working memory, vocabulary, demographics, device ownership, and age of exposure to screen‐media. Findings indicate a statistically significant path from screen‐time at time 1 to mental imagery at time 2, above and beyond the influence of the control variables. These unique findings are discussed in terms of the influence of screen‐time on mental imagery.

Authors

Sebastian Paul Suggate4
Philipp Martzog1

What This Study Is About

Researchers investigated whether the time children spend looking at screens—like TVs, tablets, and smartphones—affects their ability to create and use mental imagery (the ability to picture things in the mind). The study explored if screens provide "ready-made" images that might make a child's own mental "image-maker" less active.

How They Studied It

The study followed 266 children between the ages of 3 and 9 over a 10-month period. Parents reported how much time their children spent with different types of media, including "passive" screens (like watching TV) and "active" screens (like playing video games or using tablets). The children completed tasks that required them to compare mental images of objects based on how they look and feel. The researchers also accounted for other factors that might influence the results, such as the child’s age, vocabulary, and working memory (the ability to hold and use information in the mind).

What They Found

The study found that children who spent more time with screens had lower accuracy on mental imagery tasks 10 months later. This was true for both passive TV watching and more active media like video games. Interestingly, screen time did not make children faster at these tasks; it only made them less accurate. The researchers noted that screens might "narrow" a child's sensory experience because they focus almost entirely on sight and sound, leaving out the touch and movement experiences that help build strong mental imagery.

What This Might Mean

These findings suggest that high amounts of screen time might reduce a child's practice in generating their own internal images, potentially slowing the development of this foundational cognitive skill. However, because this was an observational study, it suggests a link rather than proving that screens are the sole cause of the lower performance. Other lifestyle factors not measured by the study could also play a role.

One Interesting Detail

The researchers found that even "active" media, like smartphones and gaming consoles, had the same negative link to mental imagery as "passive" TV watching, likely because the physical actions involved (like tapping a flat glass screen) are too repetitive and simple to provide the rich sensory feedback children get from traditional play.

Screen‐time influences children's mental imagery performance

Abstract

Authors

Screen‐time influences children's mental imagery performance

Abstract

Authors

Screen‐time influences children's mental imagery performance

Abstract

Authors

Screen‐time influences children's mental imagery performance

Abstract

Authors

What This Study Is About

How They Studied It

What They Found

What This Might Mean

One Interesting Detail

What This Study Is About

How They Studied It

What They Found

What This Might Mean

One Interesting Detail

Joel Pearson

Merlin Monzel

Adam Zeman

Rebecca Keogh

Martin Reuter

Juha Silvanto

Paolo Bartolomeo

Carla Dance

Jianghao Liu

Fraser Milton