Queen’s University psychology professor Mark Sabbagh is available to talk about today’s study in the journal Pediatrics that found four-year olds did poorly on tests after watching an episode of the popular children’s show SpongeBob SquarePants.

Dr. Sabbagh said the results of the study were surprising because watching the show appears to have a dramatic impact on kids’ ability to exert cognitive control.

“The results are surprising – watching SpongeBob can have a surprisingly large effect on some cognitive skills that are just developing in four-year-olds,” says Dr. Sabbagh, whose own children also occasionally watch the popular show. “What should parents make of this? It’s hard to say just yet – the study looked only at one nine-minute exposure from one episode of SpongeBob. The authors of the study also cannot be sure about why, in particular, this episode had its effect. More research is definitely needed. However, knowing that this episode had such a strong effect might lead parents to think about children's screen habits differently. Perhaps, at least for now, it makes sense to avoid having young children watch fast paced TV programs right before they have to do something that really demands their focus and attention – even simple things like trying to get out the door in the morning on time. Also, parents might think again about what makes a program suitable for young kids. The SpongeBob example is a really interesting one because, outside of some occasionally crude humor, there is little about the content that parents would typically find objectionable. What the researchers have focused their discussion on here are the more formal characteristics of the show – the fast paced nature of the show's editing in particular. It may be that it is the fast-paced nature of the show that is having the negative acute consequences, which may be a surprise to parents.”

To arrange an interview, please contact Michael Onesi at michael.onesi@queensu.ca, 613.533.6000 ext. 77513, or Christina Archibald at christina.archibald@queensu.ca, 613.533.2877 Queen’s News and Media Services.

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