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Miller-Goldwater HE, Williams BM, Hanft MH, Bauer PJ. Contributions of shared book reading to children's learning of new semantic facts through memory integration. EARLY CHILDHOOD RESEARCH QUARTERLY 2024; 68:99-111. [PMID: 38855311 PMCID: PMC11156226 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecresq.2024.04.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2024]
Abstract
Young children rapidly learn facts about the world. One mechanism supporting knowledge acquisition is memory integration: derivation of new knowledge by combining separate, yet related facts accumulated over time. There are both developmental changes and individual differences in young children's learning through memory integration. However, there is little research on how everyday social interactions may promote memory integration and contribute to individual differences. Accordingly, we investigated how the everyday social interactions of caregiver-child shared book reading support 5- to 6-year-olds' memory integration (N = 82 parent-child dyads; 47 female children; M age 6.10; 56.5% White non-Latinx, 15% Black, 6% White Latinx, 5.5% Asian, 17% more than one race). Caregivers read a narrative book that included opportunities to integrate facts. Half the dyads were assigned to an embedded questions condition (questions on facts included throughout the book) and half to a no embedded questions condition (statements only). We measured dyads' extratextual talk while reading for the extent to which they integrated the facts (integration talk). Children's learning was tested with both memory integration and fact recall questions. Dyads in the embedded questions condition had more integration talk. The extent to which the dyads integrated while reading predicted children's integration performance, above and beyond condition effects. This effect was specific to memory integration: integration talk nor condition accounted for fact recall. These results suggest that shared book reading can support young children's integration, especially when books engage dyads through embedded questions and dyads integrate facts while reading.
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Miller-Goldwater HE, Hanft MH, Miller AG, Bauer PJ. Young children's science learning from narrative books: The role of text cohesion and caregivers' extratextual talk. JOURNAL OF COGNITION AND DEVELOPMENT 2023; 25:323-349. [PMID: 38799764 PMCID: PMC11115124 DOI: 10.1080/15248372.2023.2267229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
One way to support young children's factual learning is through shared book reading (reading books with a knowledgeable other). Many books that teach factual content are narrative in structure, in which factual content is embedded within a fictional storyline. However, there are gaps in our understanding of factors influencing children's factual learning from narrative books. In this experiment, 38 caregivers and their 4- to 5-year-old children from the Southeastern United States participated. Each caregiver read to their child two narrative books on science concepts. The books varied in their levels of cohesion (e.g., drawing connections between textual elements and providing details and comparisons). We coded caregivers' extratextual talk while reading for the extent to which it emphasized science information (informational highlighted talk) or went beyond the text to provide further related information (informational elaborative talk). Children's recall of the books' science and story content was tested in free and probed recall formats. We found that children had higher recall of the story content, even though caregivers emphasized the science content through their highlighted extratextual talk. Caregivers used more elaborative extratextual talk with the low cohesion book, perhaps as compensation for the book's lack of cohesion. However, children's recall of the science content was most strongly predicted by the books' cohesion and caregivers' highlighted extratextual talk. These results emphasize the important role that books' textual features and caregivers' extratextual talk during book reading have on young children's factual learning from narrative books.
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Schoppmann J, Severin F, Schneider S, Seehagen S. The effect of picture book reading on young children's use of an emotion regulation strategy. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0289403. [PMID: 37531357 PMCID: PMC10395841 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0289403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 08/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Picture book reading is an enjoyable everyday activity for many young children with well-known benefits for language development. The present study investigated whether picture book reading can support young children's social-emotional development by providing a learning opportunity for the usage of emotion regulation strategies. Three-year-old children participated in two waiting situations designed to elicit negative affect. Between these waiting situations they read a picture book. In two experimental conditions, the book depicted how a protagonist (same-aged peer or young adult, respectively) waited for a desired object and distracted herself with toys while waiting. Children in an additional control condition read a picture book that was unrelated to waiting. Use of distraction did not differ between conditions. Parents often read picture book interactively with their children. Therefore, in an additional condition (Exp. 2), the experimenter read the picture book featuring the same-aged peer protagonist in an interactive way intended to facilitate transfer. Apart from the reading style, the design was identical to experiment 1. Experiment 2 intended to test whether changes in reading style lead to differences in three-year old children's social-emotional learning from picture books. When controlling for the children's picture book experience, children in the experimental conditions exhibited an increase in distraction in contrast to children in the control condition. In sum, results suggest that picture book reading could be an ecologically valid and versatile method for supporting 3-year-old children in their use of an age-appropriate adaptive emotion regulation strategies such as distraction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johanna Schoppmann
- Department of Developmental Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
- Department of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Franziska Severin
- Department of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Silvia Schneider
- Department of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Sabine Seehagen
- Department of Developmental Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
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A cross-cultural study of language and cognition: Numeral classifiers and solid object categorization. Mem Cognit 2023; 51:601-622. [PMID: 36542319 DOI: 10.3758/s13421-022-01376-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
One of the central issues in cognition is identifying universal and culturally specific patterns of thought. In this study, we examined how one aspect of culture, a linguistic part of speech known asclassifiers, are related to categorization of solid objects. In Experiment 1, we used a numeral classifier elicitation task to examine the classifiers used by speakers of Hmong, Japanese, and Mandarin Chinese (N = 34) with 135 nouns that referred to solid objects. In Experiment 2, adult speakers of English, Japanese, Mandarin Chinese, and Hmong (N = 64) rated the similarity of 39 pictured objects that depicted a subset of the nouns. All groups classified the objects into natural kinds and artifacts, with the category of humans anchoring both divisions. The main difference that emerged from the study was that speakers of Japanese and English rated humans and animals as more similar to each other than Hmong speakers; Mandarin speakers' ratings of the similarity between humans and animals fell in between those of Hmong and English speakers. However, the pattern of categorization of humans and animals found among speakers of the classifier languages contradicted their patterns of classifier use. The findings help to tease apart the effects of language from other cultural factors that impact cognition.
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Haden CA, Melzi G, Callanan MA. Science in stories: Implications for Latine children's science learning through home-based language practices. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1096833. [PMID: 36910810 PMCID: PMC9999044 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1096833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2022] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/14/2023] Open
Abstract
There is growing interest in stories as potentially powerful tools for science learning. In this mini-review article, we discuss theory and evidence indicating that, especially for young children, listening to and sharing stories with adult caregivers at home can make scientific ideas and inquiry practices meaningful and accessible. We review recent research offering evidence that stories presented in books can advance children's science learning. Nonetheless, most of this work focuses on middle-class European-American U. S. children and involves narrative story books. Given the national imperative to increase Latine representation in STEM education and career pursuits in the U. S., we argue that it is vital that we broaden the definition of stories to include oral narrative storytelling and other conversational routines that Latine families engage in at home. Cultural communities with firmly rooted oral traditions, such as those from Latin American heritage, rely frequently on oral storytelling rather than book reading to convey world and community knowledge to young children. Therefore, we advocate for a strengths-based approach that considers Latine families' everyday practices around science and storytelling on their own terms instead of contrasting them with European-American middle-class practices. We offer support for the view that for young children in Latine communities, culturally relevant oral practices, including personal narrative storytelling, can engender significant opportunities for family science learning at home.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine A Haden
- Department of Psychology, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Gigliana Melzi
- Department of Applied Psychology, New York University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Maureen A Callanan
- Departmenst of Psychology, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, United States
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6
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Nyhout A, Ganea PA. Learning science concepts through prompts to consider alternative possible worlds. J Exp Child Psychol 2022; 222:105466. [PMID: 35688115 DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2022.105466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2020] [Revised: 04/28/2022] [Accepted: 04/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
We investigated whether prompting children to think counterfactually when learning a complex science concept (planetary habitability) would promote their learning and transfer. In Study 1, children (N = 102 6- and 7-year-olds) were either prompted to think counterfactually about Earth (e.g., whether it is closer to or farther from the sun) or prompted to think about examples of different planets (Venus and Neptune) during an illustrated tutorial. A control group did not receive the tutorial. Children in the counterfactual and examples groups showed better comprehension and transfer of the concept than those in the control group. Moreover, children who were prompted to think counterfactually showed some evidence of better transfer to a novel planetary system than those who were prompted to think about different examples. In Study 2, we investigated the nature of the counterfactual benefit observed in Study 1. Children (N = 70 6- and 7-year-olds) received a tutorial featuring a novel (imaginary) planet and were either prompted to think counterfactually about the planet or prompted to think about examples of additional novel planets. Performance was equivalent across conditions and was better than performance in the control condition on all measures. The results suggest that prompts to think about alternative possibilities-both in the form of counterfactuals and in the form of alternative possible worlds-are a promising pedagogical tool for promoting abstract learning of complex science concepts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela Nyhout
- School of Psychology, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent CT2 7NP, UK.
| | - Patricia A Ganea
- Applied Psychology & Human Development, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1V6, Canada
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Adler IK, Fiedler D, Harms U. Darwin’s tales–A content analysis of how evolution is presented in children’s books. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0269197. [PMID: 35830379 PMCID: PMC9278771 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0269197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2022] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
In science, certain theories led to a paradigm shift in human being’s approach to explain nature, such as the theory of relativity, the quantum theory, and the theory of evolution. The latter explains the emergence of biodiversity on Earth and all living beings’ relatedness, including humans. Accordingly, evolutionary theory is a central part of scientific literacy. However, scholars have demonstrated that misconceptions emerging in childhood hinder learners from grasping evolutionary processes. Implementing evolution in early science education could enhance scientific ideas as a basis for subsequent learning at school. Currently, children’s literature that deals with evolution is increasing and may enable more children to encounter evolutionary theory before entering school. This explorative study aimed to analyze how children’s books about evolution approach explaining this complex topic to young children in terms of covered contents, underlying concepts and use of language. We conducted (1) a text-based qualitative content analysis of 31 children’s books in the categories of organismal context, evolutionary principles, and misconceptions, and (2) a computer-supported content analysis of 33 word labels concerning (a) scientific terms and (b) verbs expressing evolutionary change. Although evolution is a universal concept, children’s books seem to promote specific contexts such as animal and human evolution. Even though the principle of selection requires an understanding of complex interactions between individuals and environmental factors, this principle was more frequent than the principles variation and inheritance. Phylogenetic history was covered more often than basic evolutionary processes, and evolutionary change was mainly mentioned at the species level over long periods. Besides, most books conveyed misconceptions such as transformationist, teleological or anthropomorphic reasoning. Consequently, books covering evolution may bias children’s first ideas concerning this topic or introduce unscientific ideas. Based on our results, we propose implications for early evolution educators and education researchers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabell K. Adler
- IPN—Leibniz Institute for Science and Mathematics Education, Kiel, Germany
- * E-mail:
| | - Daniela Fiedler
- IPN—Leibniz Institute for Science and Mathematics Education, Kiel, Germany
| | - Ute Harms
- IPN—Leibniz Institute for Science and Mathematics Education, Kiel, Germany
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Hooykaas MJD, Holierhoek MG, Westerveld JS, Schilthuizen M, Smeets I. Animal biodiversity and specificity in children's picture books. PUBLIC UNDERSTANDING OF SCIENCE (BRISTOL, ENGLAND) 2022; 31:671-688. [PMID: 35532077 PMCID: PMC9131409 DOI: 10.1177/09636625221089811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
While animal biodiversity is declining globally, cultural representations of animals are highly prevalent in society and play an increasing part in shaping children's perceptions of animal diversity. We studied animal portrayals in children's picture books in the Netherlands, and coded over 2,200 animals from 217 award-winning books. We found a strong bias toward vertebrates, mammals in particular. Mammals were featured more often than other animals, played more prominent roles in the story, and were visually and textually specified more strongly. Furthermore, exotic and domestic species outnumbered native species. Picture books currently are likely to reinforce children's perceptions toward only a small part of animal biodiversity. While we realize that picture books have other primary aims, picture book makers could be inspired and encouraged to diversify and specify their portrayals of the natural world. This would broaden children's perceptions of the animal kingdom and could help foster lasting connections to biodiversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michiel Jan Dirk Hooykaas
- Michiel Jan Dirk Hooykaas, Science Communication and Society, Leiden University, Sylviusweg 72, 2333 BE Leiden, The Netherlands.
| | | | | | - Menno Schilthuizen
- Leiden University, The Netherlands; Naturalis Biodiversity Center, The Netherlands
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Bálint KÉ, Das E, Stel G, Hoppener M. Can A Funny Story about Tooth Brushing Decrease Plaque Scores in Children? A Longitudinal Field Experiment. HEALTH COMMUNICATION 2022; 37:802-812. [PMID: 33459055 DOI: 10.1080/10410236.2020.1871166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Dental caries is the most common chronic condition among children, it is thus a necessity to develop health communication tools to increase children's dental hygiene. Prior research among adults indicates that entertaining narrative communication can promote health behaviors, but knowledge on narrative effects on children's health outcomes is limited. In a repeated measures field experiment (N = 94, 4-10 years) we examined the long-term effects of repeated exposure to a humorous tooth brushing narrative about an orange monkey, versus an expository text on dental care, on children's self-reported and biomedical dental hygiene (plaque scores). We also explored narrative, affective and cognitive processes. Findings showed that the humorous narrative increased character engagement, enjoyment, and moral judgment compared with the expository condition. Enjoyment and moral judgment, in turn, predicted increases and decreases in plaque scores, respectively. We conclude that effectiveness of humorous narrative approach crucially depends on whether the child understands it when a story character is violating the rule.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Enny Das
- Centre for Language Studies, Radboud University Nijmegen
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10
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11
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Haber AS, Kumar SC, Corriveau KH. Boosting Children’s Persistence through Scientific Storybook Reading. JOURNAL OF COGNITION AND DEVELOPMENT 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/15248372.2021.1998063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Amanda S. Haber
- Wheelock College of Education and Human Development, Boston University
- Denotes joint first authors
| | - Sona C. Kumar
- Wheelock College of Education and Human Development, Boston University
- Denotes joint first authors
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12
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Breitfeld E, Potter CE, Lew-Williams C. Children simultaneously learn multiple dimensions of information during shared book reading. JOURNAL OF COGNITION AND DEVELOPMENT 2021; 22:744-766. [PMID: 34744519 DOI: 10.1080/15248372.2021.1939353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Picture books inherently contain many parallel dimensions of information and serve as a rich source of input for children. However, studies of children's learning from picture books tend to focus on a single type of information (e.g., novel words). To better understand the learning-related potential of shared book reading, we examined 4.5- to 5.5-year-old children's simultaneous learning of novel words, moral lessons, and story details from a reading interaction with a parent. Results showed that children successfully learned new words, extracted a moral lesson, and recalled story details from the picture book. Contrary to expectations, children's learning was equally strong regardless of whether or not parents were prompted to focus on learning as the key purpose of book reading. This research demonstrates that children learn diverse information presented across different time scales from picture books.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elise Breitfeld
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison
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13
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Aydin E, Ilgaz H, Allen JWP. Preschoolers' learning of information from fantastical narrative versus expository books. J Exp Child Psychol 2021; 209:105170. [PMID: 33962106 DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2021.105170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2020] [Revised: 03/24/2021] [Accepted: 03/29/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
This study investigated preschool children's learning from expository and fantastical narrative books and whether the children would show a tendency for learning from expository books in cases of conflicting information. Over three testing sessions, 71 3- and 5-year-olds were individually read one expository book and one fantastical narrative book. These books contained four types of information units: narrative-only, expository-only, conflicting, and consistent. Children were asked questions that tapped these information units. Results showed a main effect of age, with 5-year-olds learning more information from both books than 3-year-olds. When the information in the narrative and expository books conflicted, 5-year-olds showed a tendency to report information from the expository book, but 3-year-olds were at chance level for prioritizing information learned from either book.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emre Aydin
- Department of Psychology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - Hande Ilgaz
- Department of Psychology, Bilkent University, 06800 Ankara, Turkey.
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14
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Shtulman A, Villalobos A, Ziel D. Whitewashing Nature: Sanitized Depictions of Biology in Children's Books and Parent-Child Conversation. Child Dev 2021; 92:2356-2374. [PMID: 33891708 DOI: 10.1111/cdev.13571] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The biological world includes many negatively valenced activities, like predation, parasitism, and disease. Do children's books cover these activities? And how do parents discuss them with their children? In a content analysis of children's nature books (Study 1), we found that negatively valenced concepts were rarely depicted across genres and reading levels. When parents encountered negative information in books (Studies 2-3), they did not omit it but rather elaborated on it, adding their own comments and questions, and their children (ages 3-11) were more likely to remember the negative information but less likely to generalize that information beyond the animal in the book. These findings suggest that early input relevant to biological competition may hamper children's developing understanding of ecology and evolution.
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15
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Kucker SC. Processes and pathways in development via digital media: Examples from word learning. Infant Behav Dev 2021; 63:101559. [PMID: 33831800 DOI: 10.1016/j.infbeh.2021.101559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2020] [Revised: 03/20/2021] [Accepted: 03/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Word learning unfolds over multiple, cascading pathways which support in-the-moment processing and learning. The process is refined with each exposure to a word, and exposures to new words occur across a variety of forms and contexts. However, as children are exposed to more and more digital media, the ways in which children encounter, learn, and build on their vocabulary is also shifting. These shifts represent changes in context, content, and at the level of the child that can lead to negative outcomes. Less work, however, has discussed what these differences mean for how things change in the underlying developmental cascade and learning processes. Here, we suggest that the increasing presence of digital media may shift the developmental pathways for learning (the chain of events that support future learning) but not necessarily the developmental processes (the mechanisms underlying learning). Moreover, the interaction of the two may lead to different behavior and outcomes for learning in a digital era. We argue it is imperative for researchers to not only study how digital media differs from everyday learning, but directly measure if the well-worn pathways, processes, and variables found with decades of research with real items translate to a digital media era.
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Ganea PA, Larsen NE, Venkadasalam VP. The Role of Alternative Theories and Anomalous Evidence in Children’s Scientific Belief Revision. Child Dev 2020; 92:1137-1153. [DOI: 10.1111/cdev.13481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2019] [Revised: 06/02/2020] [Accepted: 06/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Strouse GA, Ganea PA. The effect of object similarity and alignment of examples on children's learning and transfer from picture books. J Exp Child Psychol 2020; 203:105041. [PMID: 33279828 DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2020.105041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2020] [Revised: 10/15/2020] [Accepted: 10/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Story picture books with examples can be used to teach young children science concepts. Learners can abstract relational information by comparing the analogical examples in the books, leading to a more abstract transferrable understanding of the concept. The purpose of this study was to determine whether manipulating the content or arrangement of the examples included in a picture book would support children's generalization and transfer of a relational concept, namely color camouflage. In total, 81 3-year-olds and 80 4-year-olds were read one of four books at two visits spaced approximately 1 week apart. Examples were manipulated in a 2 (Object Similarity: high or low) × 2 (Arrangement: interleaved or blocked) design. At each visit, children were asked forced-choice questions with photographs (generalization) and real animals (transfer) and needed to explain their choices. At the first visit, only 3-year-olds who had been read a book with high object similarity displayed generalization and transfer. After they were read the same book again at the second visit, 3-year-olds in all conditions performed above chance on generalization questions but made more correct selections if they had been read the books with blocked examples. The 4-year-olds showed no book-related differences on forced-choice questions at either visit but gave better explanations at the second visit if they had been read interleaved books. Our study provides evidence that picture books with analogical examples can be used to teach children about science but that different types and arrangements of examples may better support children at different ages and with different amounts of prior experience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabrielle A Strouse
- Division of Counseling and Psychology in Education, Vermillion, SD 57069, USA; Center for Brain and Behavior Research, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD 57069, USA.
| | - Patricia A Ganea
- Department of Applied Psychology and Human Development, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1V6, Canada
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18
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Bonus JA, Watts J. You can['t] catch the sun in a net!: Children's misinterpretations of educational science television. J Exp Child Psychol 2020; 202:105004. [PMID: 33059267 DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2020.105004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2019] [Revised: 08/26/2020] [Accepted: 09/01/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Many science television shows feature refutation narratives where characters speculate about the value of scientific misconceptions (e.g., the sun circles the earth) before learning factual information. Previous research suggests that young children misunderstand these stories, and the current study examined whether learning could be improved using interventions previously validated with adults. Children (N = 201) aged 4-7 years viewed a refutation narrative in its original form or in a modified format that lacked misconceptions or that contextualized those misconceptions with additional scaffolds. Although children's comprehension of factual information was high across all conditions, their understanding of misconceptions depended on their prior knowledge. Specifically, children with low prior knowledge mistakenly identified misconceptions as intended factual lessons unless they viewed the story without misconceptions or with two forms of additional scaffolding. Conversely, children with high prior knowledge understood the original story best. These findings suggest that the inclusion of fantasy ideas in children's science programming can disrupt learning for certain children and bolster learning for others.
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Affiliation(s)
- James Alex Bonus
- School of Communication, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
| | - Judy Watts
- School of Communication, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
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Conrad M, Marcovitch S, Boseovski JJ. The friendly fossa: The effect of anthropomorphic language on learning about unfamiliar animals through both storybooks and live animal experiences. J Exp Child Psychol 2020; 201:104985. [PMID: 32932159 DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2020.104985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2020] [Revised: 07/29/2020] [Accepted: 08/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Children's storybooks about animals often use elements of fantasy; even educational storybooks intended to teach children about factual and biological properties include talking animals depicted as more like humans than animals. Previous research has found that anthropomorphic images, specifically in storybooks, hinder factual learning and thus should not be used in the context of educational experiences. However, little research has explored the impact of anthropomorphic language alone as well as its use in other contexts such as zoos where parents often naturally use anthropomorphic language. The current studies explored the impact of anthropomorphic language on learning about an unfamiliar animal (fossa) across two contexts: storybooks (Study 1; N = 48; age range = 4;0-6;3 [years; months]) and a zoo (Study 2a; N = 29; age range = 4;5-7;10). An adult comparison group (Study 2b, N = 82) was also included. Across both studies, there was no evidence that anthropomorphic language decreased factual learning. However, children given anthropomorphic information about a fossa were more likely to generalize anthropomorphic traits, such as emotions, intentions, and preferences, to other fossas, and this was consistent with the adult comparison group. We discuss considerations for parents and educators regarding the appropriateness of fantastical language about animals in experiences specifically designed to support biological learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan Conrad
- Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC 27402, USA.
| | - Stuart Marcovitch
- Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC 27402, USA
| | - Janet J Boseovski
- Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC 27402, USA
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Woolley JD, Kelley KA. "When something like a ladybug lands on you": Origins and development of the concept of luck. Dev Psychol 2020; 56:1866-1878. [PMID: 32790439 DOI: 10.1037/dev0001104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
In Study 1, 103 children ages 4 through 10 answered questions about their concept of and belief in luck, and completed a story task assessing their use of luck as an explanation for events. The interview captured a curvilinear trajectory of children's belief in luck from tentative belief at age 4 to full belief at age 6, weakening belief at age 8, and significant skepticism by age 10. The youngest children appeared to think of luck simply as a positive outcome; with age, children increasingly considered the unexpected nature of lucky outcomes and many came to view luck as synonymous with chance. On the story task, younger children attributed a stronger role to luck in explaining events than did older children. Studies 2 and 3 explored 2 potential sources of children's concepts. Study 2 explored adult use of the words luck and lucky, and found that most of this input consisted in using lucky to refer to positive outcomes, although the nature of use changed with the ages of the children. In Study 3, we examined children's storybooks about luck and found them to be rich potential sources of children's concepts. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).
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Leech KA, Haber AS, Jalkh Y, Corriveau KH. Embedding Scientific Explanations Into Storybooks Impacts Children's Scientific Discourse and Learning. Front Psychol 2020; 11:1016. [PMID: 32655426 PMCID: PMC7325948 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2020] [Accepted: 04/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Children’s understanding of unobservable scientific entities largely depends on testimony from others, especially through parental explanations that highlight the mechanism underlying a scientific entity. Mechanistic explanations are particularly helpful in promoting children’s conceptual understanding, yet they are relatively rare in parent–child conversations. The current study aimed to increase parent–child use of mechanistic conversation by modeling this language in a storybook about the mechanism of electrical circuits. We also examined whether an increase in mechanistic conversation was associated with science learning outcomes, measured at both the dyadic- and child-level. In the current study, parents and their 4- to 5-year-old children (N = 60) were randomly assigned to read a book containing mechanistic explanations (n = 32) or one containing non-mechanistic explanations (n = 28). After reading the book together, parent–child joint understanding of electricity’s mechanism was tested by asking the dyad to assemble electrical components of a circuit toy so that a light would turn on. Finally, child science learning outcomes were examined by asking children to assemble a novel circuit toy and answer comprehension questions to gauge their understanding of electricity’s mechanism. Results indicate that dyads who read storybooks containing mechanistic explanations were (1) more successful at completing the circuit (putting the pieces together to make the light turn on) and (2) used more mechanistic language than dyads assigned to the non-mechanistic condition. Children in the mechanistic condition also had better learning outcomes, but only if they engaged in more mechanistic discourse with their parent. We discuss these results using a social interactionist framework to highlight the role of input and interaction for learning. We also highlight how these results implicate everyday routines such as book reading in supporting children’s scientific discourse and understanding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn A Leech
- School of Education, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Amanda S Haber
- Wheelock College of Education and Applied Human Development, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Youmna Jalkh
- Wheelock College of Education and Applied Human Development, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Kathleen H Corriveau
- Wheelock College of Education and Applied Human Development, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States
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22
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Conrad M, Kim E, Blacker KA, Walden Z, LoBue V. Using Storybooks to Teach Children About Illness Transmission and Promote Adaptive Health Behavior - A Pilot Study. Front Psychol 2020; 11:942. [PMID: 32581904 PMCID: PMC7289927 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00942] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2020] [Accepted: 04/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Although there is a large and growing literature on children’s developing concepts of illness transmission, little is known about how children develop contagion knowledge before formal schooling begins and how these informal learning experiences can impact children’s health behaviors. Here, we asked two important questions: first, do children’s informal learning experiences, such as their experiences reading storybooks, regularly contain causal information about illness transmission; and second, what is the impact of this type of experience on children’s developing knowledge and behavior? In Study 1, we examined whether children’s commercial books about illness regularly contain contagion-relevant causal information. In Study 2, we ran a pilot study examining whether providing children with causal information about illness transmission in a storybook can influence their knowledge and subsequent behavior when presented with a contaminated object. The results from Study 1 suggest that very few (15%) children’s books about illness feature biological causal mechanisms for illness transmission. However, results from Study 2 suggest that storybooks containing contagion-relevant explanations about illness transmission may encourage learning and avoidance of contaminated objects. Altogether, these results provide preliminary data suggesting that future research should focus on engaging children in learning about contagion and encouraging adaptive health behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan Conrad
- Center for Developmental Science, Department of Psychology, William Paterson University, Wayne, NJ, United States
| | - Emily Kim
- Child Study Center, Department of Psychology, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ, United States
| | - Katy-Ann Blacker
- Child Study Center, Department of Psychology, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ, United States
| | - Zachary Walden
- Child Study Center, Department of Psychology, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ, United States
| | - Vanessa LoBue
- Child Study Center, Department of Psychology, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ, United States
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23
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Weisberg DS, Hopkins EJ. Preschoolers' extension and export of information from realistic and fantastical stories. INFANT AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/icd.2182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Deena Skolnick Weisberg
- Department of Psychological and Brain SciencesVillanova University Villanova Pennsylvania USA
| | - Emily J. Hopkins
- Department of PsychologyUniversity of Scranton Scranton Pennsylvania USA
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25
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Comparison of Imitation From Screens Between Typically Developing Preschoolers and Preschoolers With Autism Spectrum Disorder. JOURNAL OF COGNITIVE EDUCATION AND PSYCHOLOGY 2019. [DOI: 10.1891/1945-8959.18.2.108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Typically developing (TD) children exhibit a transfer deficit imitating significantly less from screen demonstrations compared to a live demonstrations. Although many interventions for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) include video materials, little research exists comparing the effectiveness of video demonstration over live instruction. The current study compared imitation learning from live and screen-based demonstrations of how to make a puzzle by 3- to 4.5-year-old TD children (n = 68) and children with ASD (n = 17). Children were tested on either on a three-dimensional (3D) magnet board (MB) with magnetic puzzle pieces or a 2D touch screen (TS) with virtual puzzle pieces. Neither TD nor ASD children exhibited a transfer deficit suggesting that for this task, the transfer deficit ends around 3 years of age. Children with ASD were less efficient overall than TD children on the task and performed worse than their TD counterparts when they were tested with the 3D MB puzzle. These findings suggest that children with ASD have greater difficulty acting on 3D objects than 2D TSs. Future studies should investigate if TSs can be used to teach children with ASD other tasks (184 words).
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26
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Foster-Hanson E, Rhodes M. Is the most representative skunk the average or the stinkiest? Developmental changes in representations of biological categories. Cogn Psychol 2019; 110:1-15. [PMID: 30677631 PMCID: PMC6487486 DOI: 10.1016/j.cogpsych.2018.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2018] [Revised: 10/24/2018] [Accepted: 12/25/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
People often think of categories in terms of their most representative examples (e.g., robin for BIRD). Thus, determining which exemplars are most representative is a fundamental cognitive process that shapes how people use concepts to navigate the world. The present studies (N = 669; ages 5 years - adulthood) revealed developmental change in this important component of cognition. Studies 1-2 found that young children view exemplars with extreme values of characteristic features (e.g., the very fastest cheetah) as most representative of familiar biological categories; the tendency to view average exemplars in this manner (e.g., the average-speeded cheetah) emerged slowly across age. Study 3 examined the mechanisms underlying these judgments, and found that participants of all ages viewed extreme exemplars as representative of novel animal categories when they learned that the variable features fulfilled category-specific adaptive needs, but not otherwise. Implications for developmental changes in conceptual structure and biological reasoning are discussed.
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27
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Zosh JM, Hirsh-Pasek K, Hopkins EJ, Jensen H, Liu C, Neale D, Solis SL, Whitebread D. Accessing the Inaccessible: Redefining Play as a Spectrum. Front Psychol 2018; 9:1124. [PMID: 30116208 PMCID: PMC6084083 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2018] [Accepted: 06/12/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Defining play has plagued researchers and philosophers for years. From describing play as an inaccessible concept due to its complexity, to providing checklists of features, the field has struggled with how to conceptualize and operationalize “play.” This theoretical piece reviews the literature about both play and learning and suggests that by viewing play as a spectrum – that ranges from free play (no guidance or support) to guided play and games (including purposeful adult support while maintaining playful elements), we better capture the true essence of play and explain its relationship to learning. Insights from the Science of Learning allow us to better understand why play supports learning across social and academic domains. By changing the lens through which we conceptualize play, we account for previous findings in a cohesive way while also proposing new avenues of exploration for the field to study the role of learning through play across age and context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer M Zosh
- The Pennsylvania State University Brandywine, Media, PA, United States
| | - Kathy Hirsh-Pasek
- Department of Psychology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, United States.,The Brookings Institution, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Emily J Hopkins
- Department of Psychology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | | | - Claire Liu
- Graduate School of Education, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Dave Neale
- School of Education, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, United States
| | - S Lynneth Solis
- Graduate School of Education, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - David Whitebread
- Homerton College, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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28
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Tarlowski A. Ontological Constraints in Children's Inductive Inferences: Evidence From a Comparison of Inferences Within Animals and Vehicles. Front Psychol 2018; 9:520. [PMID: 29760669 PMCID: PMC5937141 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2017] [Accepted: 03/27/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
There is a lively debate concerning the role of conceptual and perceptual information in young children's inductive inferences. While most studies focus on the role of basic level categories in induction the present research contributes to the debate by asking whether children's inductions are guided by ontological constraints. Two studies use a novel inductive paradigm to test whether young children have an expectation that all animals share internal commonalities that do not extend to perceptually similar inanimates. The results show that children make category-consistent responses when asked to project an internal feature from an animal to either a dissimilar animal or a similar toy replica. However, the children do not have a universal preference for category-consistent responses in an analogous task involving vehicles and vehicle toy replicas. The results also show the role of context and individual factors in inferences. Children's early reliance on ontological commitments in induction cannot be explained by perceptual similarity or by children's sensitivity to the authenticity of objects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrzej Tarlowski
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, University of Finance and Management in Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
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29
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia-Fen Wu
- School of Education, Jing Gang Shan University, Ji'an, China
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30
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Children learning a concept with a book and an e-book: a comparison with matched instruction. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGY OF EDUCATION 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s10212-018-0370-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
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31
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Venkadasalam VP, Ganea PA. Do objects of different weight fall at the same time? Updating naive beliefs about free-falling objects from fictional and informational books in young children. JOURNAL OF COGNITION AND DEVELOPMENT 2018. [DOI: 10.1080/15248372.2018.1436058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Patricia A. Ganea
- Department of Applied Psychology and Human Development, University of Toronto, Canada
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32
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Strouse GA, Nyhout A, Ganea PA. The Role of Book Features in Young Children's Transfer of Information from Picture Books to Real-World Contexts. Front Psychol 2018; 9:50. [PMID: 29467690 PMCID: PMC5807901 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2017] [Accepted: 01/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Picture books are an important source of new language, concepts, and lessons for young children. A large body of research has documented the nature of parent-child interactions during shared book reading. A new body of research has begun to investigate the features of picture books that support children's learning and transfer of that information to the real world. In this paper, we discuss how children's symbolic development, analogical reasoning, and reasoning about fantasy may constrain their ability to take away content information from picture books. We then review the nascent body of findings that has focused on the impact of picture book features on children's learning and transfer of words and letters, science concepts, problem solutions, and morals from picture books. In each domain of learning we discuss how children's development may interact with book features to impact their learning. We conclude that children's ability to learn and transfer content from picture books can be disrupted by some book features and research should directly examine the interaction between children's developing abilities and book characteristics on children's learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabrielle A Strouse
- Counselling and Psychology in Education, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD, United States
| | - Angela Nyhout
- Department of Applied Psychology and Human Development, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Patricia A Ganea
- Department of Applied Psychology and Human Development, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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33
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Hopkins EJ, Weisberg DS. The youngest readers’ dilemma: A review of children’s learning from fictional sources. DEVELOPMENTAL REVIEW 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.dr.2016.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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34
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Li H, Hsueh Y, Wang F, Bai X, Liu T, Zhou L. Do Young Chinese Children Gain Anthropomorphism after Exposure to Personified Touch-Screen and Board Games? Front Psychol 2017; 8:55. [PMID: 28179891 PMCID: PMC5264129 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2016] [Accepted: 01/10/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Research shows that preschoolers are likely to anthropomorphize not only animals, but also inanimate toy after being exposed to books that personify these objects. Can such an effect also arise through young children's use of touch-screen games? The present study is the first to examine whether playing a touch-screen personified train game affects young children's anthropomorphism of real trains. Seventy-nine 4- and 6-year-old children were randomly assigned to play either a touch-screen game or a board game of Thomas the Tank Engine for 10 min. They completed the Individual Differences in Anthropomorphism Questionnaire-Child Form (IDAQ-CF) (two subscales: Technology/Inanimate Nature, Animate Nature) and an additional four items about the anthropomorphism of real trains, before (T1) and after (T2) the game. Overall results showed that children manifested a small but statistically significant increase in anthropomorphizing of real trains after their exposure to both games, claiming that real trains were like humans. Interestingly, 4-year-old children in the board game group tended to anthropomorphize real trains more than those in the touch-screen group, whereas the reverse was true for the 6-year-old children. The results suggest that touch-screen games may delay the decline of children's anthropomorphism during the cognitive and socio-emotional transition that occurs in children aged 5-7. These findings have implications for future research on how touch-screen games increase children's anthropomorphism of the real world, and more generally, for evaluation of the influence of the growing use of touch-screen games on young children's learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Li
- Academy of Psychology and Behavior, Tianjin Normal University Tianjin, China
| | - Yeh Hsueh
- College of Education, University of Memphis, Memphis TN, USA
| | - Fuxing Wang
- School of Psychology, Central China Normal University Wuhan, China
| | - Xuejun Bai
- Academy of Psychology and Behavior, Tianjin Normal University Tianjin, China
| | - Tao Liu
- School of Management, Zhejiang University Hangzhou, China
| | - Li Zhou
- School of Psychology, Central China Normal University Wuhan, China
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35
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Loucks J, Mutschler C, Meltzoff AN. Children's Representation and Imitation of Events: How Goal Organization Influences 3-Year-Old Children's Memory for Action Sequences. Cogn Sci 2016; 41:1904-1933. [PMID: 27882595 DOI: 10.1111/cogs.12446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2015] [Revised: 07/19/2016] [Accepted: 08/02/2016] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Children's imitation of adults plays a prominent role in human cognitive development. However, few studies have investigated how children represent the complex structure of observed actions which underlies their imitation. We integrate theories of action segmentation, memory, and imitation to investigate whether children's event representation is organized according to veridical serial order or a higher level goal structure. Children were randomly assigned to learn novel event sequences either through interactive hands-on experience (Study 1) or via storybook (Study 2). Results demonstrate that children's representation of observed actions is organized according to higher level goals, even at the cost of representing the veridical temporal ordering of the sequence. We argue that prioritizing goal structure enhances event memory, and that this mental organization is a key mechanism of social-cognitive development in real-world, dynamic environments. It supports cultural learning and imitation in ecologically valid settings when social agents are multitasking and not demonstrating one isolated goal at a time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeff Loucks
- Department of Psychology, University of Regina
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36
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Early understanding of the socially mediated representational function of pictures. Infant Behav Dev 2016; 44:68-76. [DOI: 10.1016/j.infbeh.2016.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2015] [Revised: 05/19/2016] [Accepted: 05/20/2016] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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37
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Geerdts MS, Van de Walle GA, LoBue V. Learning About Real Animals From Anthropomorphic Media. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016. [DOI: 10.1177/0276236615611798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
While a large body of empirical research has investigated preschool-aged children’s knowledge of the natural world, comparatively little attention has been paid to the relevant cultural and social input that shapes the content and development of children’s factual knowledge and conceptual reasoning. In the current research, we experimentally examined the impact of exposure to one particularly common and relevant cultural tool for learning about living things: storybooks. While anthropomorphism—the attribution of human characteristics to nonhuman entities—has long been a staple of children’s storybooks, researchers have only recently focused on directly measuring its effect on children’s knowledge about real animals. Contrary to previous research, we found that anthropomorphic language and pictures in storybooks did not interfere with factual learning about real animals. Even though children did retell anthropomorphic stories using anthropomorphic language, they were nonetheless better at providing factual, biological explanations after being read an anthropomorphic storybook. Our results suggest that anthropomorphism in storybooks may not have the strong, negative impact as previously suggested and supports the need for further research on the potential educational role of fantasy elements such as anthropomorphism in children’s media.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan S. Geerdts
- Rutgers University—Newark, NJ, USA
- Department of Psychology, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, NC, USA
- Chestnut Hill College, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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38
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Doebel S, Rowell SF, Koenig MA. Young Children Detect and Avoid Logically Inconsistent Sources: The Importance of Communicative Context and Executive Function. Child Dev 2016; 87:1956-1970. [PMID: 27317511 DOI: 10.1111/cdev.12563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The reported research tested the hypothesis that young children detect logical inconsistency in communicative contexts that support the evaluation of speakers' epistemic reliability. In two experiments (N = 194), 3- to 5-year-olds were presented with two speakers who expressed logically consistent or inconsistent claims. Three-year-olds failed to detect inconsistencies (Experiment 1), 4-year-olds detected inconsistencies when expressed by human speakers but not when read from books, and 5-year-olds detected inconsistencies in both contexts (Experiment 2). In both experiments, children demonstrated skepticism toward testimony from previously inconsistent sources. Executive function and working memory each predicted inconsistency detection. These findings indicate logical inconsistency understanding emerges in early childhood, is supported by social and domain general cognitive skills, and plays a role in adaptive learning from testimony.
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39
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Baer C, Friedman O. Children's generic interpretation of pretense. J Exp Child Psychol 2016; 150:99-111. [PMID: 27268159 DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2016.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2016] [Revised: 05/04/2016] [Accepted: 05/06/2016] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
We report two experiments investigating how 3- to 5-year-olds learn general knowledge from pretend play-how they learn about kinds of things (e.g., information about dogs) from information about particular individuals in pretend play (a certain dog in a pretend scenario). Children watched pretend-play enactments in which animals showed certain behaviors or heard utterances conveying the same information. When children were subsequently asked about who shows the behavior, children who watched pretend play were more likely to give generic responses than were children who heard the utterances. These findings show that children generalize information from pretend play to kinds even without being prompted to think about kinds, that pretend play can be informative about familiar kinds, and also that pretend play is a more potent source for general knowledge than are utterances about individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolyn Baer
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z4, Canada.
| | - Ori Friedman
- Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada
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40
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Geerdts MS. (Un)Real Animals: Anthropomorphism and Early Learning About Animals. CHILD DEVELOPMENT PERSPECTIVES 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/cdep.12153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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41
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Järnefelt E, Canfield CF, Kelemen D. The divided mind of a disbeliever: Intuitive beliefs about nature as purposefully created among different groups of non-religious adults. Cognition 2015; 140:72-88. [PMID: 25880608 DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2015.02.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2014] [Revised: 02/15/2015] [Accepted: 02/16/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Do non-religious adults - despite their explicit disavowal of religious beliefs - have a tacit tendency to view nature as purposefully created by some being? This question was explored in three online studies using a speeded judgment procedure, which assessed disbelievers in two different Western cultures (United States and Finland). Despite strong performance on control trials, across all three studies non-religious individuals displayed a default bias to increasingly judge pictures of natural phenomena as "purposefully made by some being" under processing constraints. Personal beliefs in the supernatural agency of nature ("Gaia beliefs") consistently predicted this tendency. However, beliefs in nature as purposefully made by some being persisted even when such secular agency beliefs were controlled. These results suggest that the tendency to view nature as designed is rooted in evolved cognitive biases as well as cultural socialization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Järnefelt
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, 64 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA 02215, United States; Department of World Cultures, Study of Religions, University of Helsinki, Unioninkatu 38 E, 00014 University of Helsinki, Finland.
| | - Caitlin F Canfield
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, 64 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA 02215, United States
| | - Deborah Kelemen
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, 64 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA 02215, United States
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42
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Abstract
The main proposition of this paper is that science communication necessarily involves and includes cultural orientations. There is a substantial body of work showing that cultural differences in values and epistemological frameworks are paralleled with cultural differences reflected in artifacts and public representations. One dimension of cultural difference is the psychological distance between humans and the rest of nature. Another is perspective taking and attention to context and relationships. As an example of distance, most (Western) images of ecosystems do not include human beings, and European American discourse tends to position human beings as being apart from nature. Native American discourse, in contrast, tends to describe humans beings as a part of nature. We trace the correspondences between cultural properties of media, focusing on children's books, and cultural differences in biological cognition. Finally, implications for both science communication and science education are outlined.
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43
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Badger JR, Shapiro LR. Category structure affects the developmental trajectory of children's inductive inferences for both natural kinds and artefacts. THINKING & REASONING 2014. [DOI: 10.1080/13546783.2014.952338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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44
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Walker CM, Gopnik A, Ganea PA. Learning to learn from stories: children's developing sensitivity to the causal structure of fictional worlds. Child Dev 2014; 86:310-8. [PMID: 25156667 DOI: 10.1111/cdev.12287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Fiction presents a unique challenge to the developing child, in that children must learn when to generalize information from stories to the real world. This study examines how children acquire causal knowledge from storybooks, and whether children are sensitive to how closely the fictional world resembles reality. Preschoolers (N = 108) listened to stories in which a novel causal relation was embedded within realistic or fantastical contexts. Results indicate that by at least 3 years of age, children are sensitive to the underlying causal structure of the story: Children are more likely to generalize content if the fictional world is similar to reality. Additionally, children become better able at discriminating between realistic and fantastical story contexts between 3 and 5 years of age.
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Ganea PA, Canfield CF, Simons-Ghafari K, Chou T. Do cavies talk? The effect of anthropomorphic picture books on children's knowledge about animals. Front Psychol 2014; 5:283. [PMID: 24782793 PMCID: PMC3989584 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2013] [Accepted: 03/17/2014] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Many books for young children present animals in fantastical and unrealistic ways, such as wearing clothes, talking and engaging in human-like activities. This research examined whether anthropomorphism in children's books affects children's learning and conceptions of animals, by specifically assessing the impact of depictions (a bird wearing clothes and reading a book) and language (bird described as talking and as having human intentions). In Study 1, 3-, 4-, and 5-year-old children saw picture books featuring realistic drawings of a novel animal. Half of the children also heard factual, realistic language, while the other half heard anthropomorphized language. In Study 2, we replicated the first study using anthropomorphic illustrations of real animals. The results show that the language used to describe animals in books has an effect on children's tendency to attribute human-like traits to animals, and that anthropomorphic storybooks affect younger children's learning of novel facts about animals. These results indicate that anthropomorphized animals in books may not only lead to less learning but also influence children's conceptual knowledge of animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia A Ganea
- Applied Psychology and Human Development, University of Toronto Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Caitlin F Canfield
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Tommy Chou
- Department of Psychology, Florida International University Miami, FL, USA
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Abstract
For young children, storybooks may serve as especially valuable sources of new knowledge. While most research focuses on how extratextual comments influence knowledge acquisition, we propose that children’s learning may also be supported by the specific features of storybooks. More specifically, we propose that texts that invoke children’s knowledge of familiar taxonomic categories may support learning by providing a conceptual framework through which prior knowledge and new knowledge can be readily integrated. In this study, 60 5-year olds were read a storybook that either invoked their knowledge of a familiar taxonomic category (taxonomic storybook) or focused on a common thematic grouping (traditional storybook). Following the book-reading, children’s vocabulary acquisition, literal comprehension, and inferential comprehension were assessed. Children who were read the taxonomic storybook demonstrated greater acquisition of target vocabulary and comprehension of factual content than children who were read the traditional storybook. Inferential comprehension, however, did not differ across the two conditions. We argue for the importance of careful consideration of book features and storybook selection in order to provide children with every opportunity to gain the knowledge foundational for successful literacy development.
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Waxman SR, Herrmann P, Woodring J, Medin DL. Humans (really) are animals: picture-book reading influences 5-year-old urban children's construal of the relation between humans and non-human animals. Front Psychol 2014; 5:172. [PMID: 24672493 PMCID: PMC3956115 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2013] [Accepted: 02/12/2014] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
What is the relation between humans and non-human animals? From a biological perspective, we view humans as one species among many, but in the fables and films we create for children, we often offer an anthropocentric perspective, imbuing non-human animals with human-like characteristics. What are the consequences of these distinctly different perspectives on children’s reasoning about the natural world? Some have argued that children universally begin with an anthropocentric perspective and that acquiring a biological perspective requires a basic conceptual change (cf. Carey, 1985). But recent work reveals that this anthropocentric perspective, evidenced in urban 5-year-olds, is not evident in 3-year-olds (Herrmann etal., 2010). This indicates that the anthropocentric perspective is not an obligatory first step in children’s reasoning about biological phenomena. In the current paper, we introduced a priming manipulation to assess whether 5-year-olds’ reasoning about a novel biological property is influenced by the perspectives they encounter in children’s books. Just before participating in a reasoning task, each child read a book about bears with an experimenter. What varied was whether bears were depicted from an anthropomorphic (Berenstain Bears) or biological perspective (Animal Encyclopedia). The priming had a dramatic effect. Children reading the Berenstain Bears showed the standard anthropocentric reasoning pattern, but those reading the Animal Encyclopedia adopted a biological pattern. This offers evidence that urban 5-year-olds can adopt either a biological or a human-centered stance, depending upon the context. Thus, children’s books and other media are double-edged swords. Media may (inadvertently) support human-centered reasoning in young children, but may also be instrumental in redirecting children’s attention to a biological model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra R Waxman
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University Evanston, IL, USA
| | | | - Jennie Woodring
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Douglas L Medin
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University Evanston, IL, USA
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Heath P, Houston-Price C, Kennedy OB. Let's look at leeks! Picture books increase toddlers' willingness to look at, taste and consume unfamiliar vegetables. Front Psychol 2014; 5:191. [PMID: 24653709 PMCID: PMC3949128 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2013] [Accepted: 02/18/2014] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Repeatedly looking at picture books about fruits and vegetables with parents enhances young children's visual preferences toward the foods in the book (Houston-Price et al., 2009a) and influences their willingness to taste these foods (Houston-Price et al., 2009b). This article explores whether the effects of picture book exposure are affected by infants' initial familiarity with and liking for the foods presented. In two experiments parents of 19- to 26-month-old toddlers were asked to read a picture book about a liked, disliked or unfamiliar fruit or vegetable with their child every day for 2 weeks. The impact of the intervention on both infants' visual preferences and their eating behavior was determined by the initial status of the target food, with the strongest effects for foods that were initially unfamiliar. Most strikingly, toddlers consumed more of the unfamiliar vegetable they had seen in their picture book than of a matched control vegetable. Results confirm the potential for picture books to play a positive role in encouraging healthy eating in young children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philippa Heath
- School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, University of Reading Reading, UK
| | - Carmel Houston-Price
- School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, University of Reading Reading, UK
| | - Orla B Kennedy
- Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences, University of Reading Reading, UK
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Williams SE, Horst JS. Goodnight book: sleep consolidation improves word learning via storybooks. Front Psychol 2014; 5:184. [PMID: 24624111 PMCID: PMC3941071 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2013] [Accepted: 02/14/2014] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Reading the same storybooks repeatedly helps preschool children learn words. In addition, sleeping shortly after learning also facilitates memory consolidation and aids learning in older children and adults. The current study explored how sleep promotes word learning in preschool children using a shared storybook reading task. Children were either read the same story repeatedly or different stories and either napped after the stories or remained awake. Children's word retention were tested 2.5 h later, 24 h later, and 7 days later. Results demonstrate strong, persistent effects for both repeated readings and sleep consolidation on young children's word learning. A key finding is that children who read different stories before napping learned words as well as children who had the advantage of hearing the same story. In contrast, children who read different stories and remained awake never caught up to their peers on later word learning tests. Implications for educational practices are discussed.
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