Better than that, why not stick it to them directly on their website?
They have the refreshingly open policy of allowing anyone to submit
an electronic response to their published papers. In fact, there's
one there already calling them on this issue (Gallagher: Causal or
casual?).
(http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/113/4/708
and click on "published P3R for this article").
This is what I just posted:
There are many possible contaminating variables here besides the ones that Gallagher mentions. The data are based on retrospective self reports by the parents of the children whose behavior is in question. I see no indication of any systematic validation of the accuracy of these reports. It is quite possible that parents who are more sensitive to or concerned about their children's behavior are more likely to both report behavioral abnormalities and give higher estimates ot the time those children spend watching TV. To conclude, the only way to imply causation to any observed relationship between the reported time spent watching television and reported frequency of problem behaviors would be to randomly assign subjects to TV and NO TV groups, have them log defined behaviors and TV time in real time, and have external observers occasionally make reliability checks on their recording.
Failing that, all we have is a vague suggestion that some sort of undefined relationship exists.
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* PAUL K.
BRANDON [EMAIL PROTECTED]
*
* Psychology Dept Minnesota State University *
* 23 Armstrong Hall, Mankato, MN 56001 ph 507-389-6217 *
* http://www.mankato.msus.edu/dept/psych/welcome.html *
* Psychology Dept Minnesota State University *
* 23 Armstrong Hall, Mankato, MN 56001 ph 507-389-6217 *
* http://www.mankato.msus.edu/dept/psych/welcome.html *
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