Relation between active mediation, exposure to Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood, and US preschoolers' social and emotional development
Abstract This study explored the relationship between active mediation, exposure to Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood, and key indicators of preschoolers' social and emotional development. One hundred and twenty seven children aged 2 6 either watched or did not watch 10 episodes of Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood over a two week period. Results revealed that preschoolers who watched the program exhibited higher levels of empathy, self efficacy, and emotion recognition when their regular TV watching experiences are frequently accompanied by active mediation. This was especially true for younger preschoolers and preschoolers from low income families. Implications for policy makers, parents, producers of prosocial programming, and educators are discussed.