"A 2011 study conducted at the
University of Virginia, published in the journal
Pediatrics, tested the show's effect on preschool-aged children's attention spans and cognitive abilities. The study had three groups of four-year-olds each engaged in activities; one group watched
Caillou, another watched
SpongeBob SquarePants, and the third group drew pictures. After nine minutes, the children were tested on mental functions; those that watched
Caillou had very similar results to the group that drew pictures, both of whom performed significantly better than the group that watched the
SpongeBob episode." [
citation (pdf)]