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Measuring Children's Curiosity.

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Bibliographic Details
Title: Measuring Children's Curiosity.
Authors: Miller, George, Appalachia Educational Lab., Charleston, WV.
Peer Reviewed: N
Page Count: 12
Publication Date: 1971
Descriptors: Attitudes, Child Development, Comparative Analysis, Educational Television, Evaluation Methods, Hypothesis Testing, Imagination, Individual Development, Interaction, Measurement Instruments, Mechanical Skills, Mobile Classrooms, Nonprofessional Personnel, Observation, Play, Preschool Children, Sex Differences, Stimulus Devices, Testing, Videotape Recordings
Abstract: A study to develop a technique for measuring the curiosity of young children and to determine whether three treatments affected the subjects as hypothesized is presented. The Appalachia Educational Laboratory's Preschool Education Program sought to stimulate curiosity in its 3-, 4-, and 5-year-old subjects. One third of the children received only a daily television program. Another third saw the television program and were visited in the homes each week by a paraprofessional. The remaining third saw the television program, received the weekly visit, and attended an hour and a half session in a mobile classroom when it visited their area once a week. Testing involved bringing the children to the field office for a videotaped session. After completing the testing, the children were sent to a room and play for a period of 15 minutes. The degree of curiosity was operationally defined as the proportion of the total time spent experimenting with the unfamiliar object. The device used to stimulate the children's curiosity was a brightly colored box. It was found that boys appeared more interested in the device than girls, based on their interaction with it. It is concluded that girls at this age have the ability to manipulate these objects but are no longer at a developmental stage in which they are as interested in such activities as boys. (Author/CK)
Entry Date: 1972
Accession Number: ED062022
Database: ERIC
Description
Abstract:A study to develop a technique for measuring the curiosity of young children and to determine whether three treatments affected the subjects as hypothesized is presented. The Appalachia Educational Laboratory's Preschool Education Program sought to stimulate curiosity in its 3-, 4-, and 5-year-old subjects. One third of the children received only a daily television program. Another third saw the television program and were visited in the homes each week by a paraprofessional. The remaining third saw the television program, received the weekly visit, and attended an hour and a half session in a mobile classroom when it visited their area once a week. Testing involved bringing the children to the field office for a videotaped session. After completing the testing, the children were sent to a room and play for a period of 15 minutes. The degree of curiosity was operationally defined as the proportion of the total time spent experimenting with the unfamiliar object. The device used to stimulate the children's curiosity was a brightly colored box. It was found that boys appeared more interested in the device than girls, based on their interaction with it. It is concluded that girls at this age have the ability to manipulate these objects but are no longer at a developmental stage in which they are as interested in such activities as boys. (Author/CK)