Influence of Television Viewing on the Prosocial Behaviour of Children in Ibadan, Oyo State

This study investigates how television viewing habits influence prosocial behaviour among primary school children in Ibadan, Oyo State, South West Nigeria. Television remains a dominant leisure activity for Nigerian children, and the content consumed, whether violent, prosocial, or educational, has meaningful implications for children's social development and moral reasoning. The study employs a descriptive survey design, involving 280 Primary 4 and 5 pupils and their parents from seven private and public schools in Ibadan North-East Local Government Area. A television viewing habits questionnaire and the Prosocial Behaviour Scale (teacher-rated) were used as instruments. Data were analysed using Pearson correlation and multiple regression. Findings reveal that children who predominantly view prosocial and educational content, such as programmes featuring characters demonstrating cooperation, empathy, and conflict resolution, exhibit significantly higher prosocial behaviour scores. In contrast, high consumption of violent or competitive content was negatively correlated with prosocial behaviour, particularly among male pupils. Total screen time per day was not independently predictive of prosocial behaviour after controlling for content type, suggesting that content quality rather than quantity is the primary determinant. Parents with structured media monitoring practices reported children with better prosocial profiles. The Nigerian Broadcasting Commission is advised to increase the proportion of prosocial children's programming broadcast during prime children's viewing hours. Schools should incorporate media literacy into the primary school curriculum. Keywords: television viewing, prosocial behaviour, primary school children, Ibadan, media influence.