Big Top Fitness: An Investigation of the Effectiveness and Appeal of Interactive Television.
Zagarino, Christina.
2011
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Abstract: An increasing number of children in the United States are challenged
by childhood obesity. In addition to the environmental factors associated with eating and
food choices, television and other sedentary activities are considered significant
contributors to the epidemic. Big Top Fitness is a new
interactive television program that aims to get child viewers physically active and on
... read moretheir feet while watching television. The program utilizes seven features of an interactive
television show originally developed by Dan Anderson, Angela Santomero, and Alice Wilder in
the creation of Blue's Clues. Using a sample of 50 three to
five-year-old children at two school sites, this study examined the extent to which the
program promoted imitation of physical movements. The results showed that physical movement
was imitated at one school site for two episodes of the program. The role of interactive
television programs, such as Big Top Fitness, in promoting
physical activity and implications for future research are discussed.
Thesis (M.A.)--Tufts University, 2011.
Submitted to the Dept. of Child Development.
Advisor: Calvin Gidney.
Committee: Julie Dobrow, and David Henry Feldman.
Keywords: Education, Technology, Developmental Psychology, and Art Education.read less - ID:
- 3f462j30m
- Component ID:
- tufts:21070
- To Cite:
- TARC Citation Guide EndNote
