Adults’ explanations and children's understanding of contagious illnesses, non-contagious illnesses, and injuries
Adults’ explanations and children's understanding of contagious illnesses, non-contagious illnesses, and injuries
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DOI：
10.1080/03004430.2015.1040785
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发表时间：
2016-04
影响因子：
1.4
通讯作者：
N. Toyama
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
N. Toyama
本研究考察了（1）儿童是否注意到传染性疾病、非传染性疾病和伤害的不同原因，以及（2）成人向儿童提供哪些信息，以及这些信息在多大程度上与儿童的因果意识相关。研究1和2探讨了幼儿教师和母亲对疾病和伤害的解释，研究3和4考察了儿童对因果关系的理解。老师和母亲经常提供各种关于儿童疾病和伤害的信息。基于行为和生活习惯的解释最为常见。在解释传染性疾病时，他们往往会提到传染病，而在解释非传染性疾病时，他们有时会提到遗传体质。但在传染性疾病和伤害中从未观察到遗传。在研究3和4中，5-11岁的儿童始终否认对公正的信仰。对于传染性疾病，他们似乎注意到与污染物的身体接触会使我们生病。年龄较大的儿童的意识似乎变得更加分化和复杂。从童年中期开始，他们注意到遗传体质在非传染性疾病的易感性中起着一定的作用。
The present study examined (1) whether children notice different causes for contagious illnesses, non-contagious illnesses, and injuries and (2) what information adults provide to children and to what extent this information is related to children's causal awareness. Studies 1 and 2 explored preschool teachers’ and mothers’ explanations of illnesses and injuries, and Studies 3 and 4 examined children's understanding of causality. The teachers and mothers frequently offered various kinds of information about illnesses and injuries to children. Explanations based on behaviour and life habits were most common. When explaining contagious illnesses, they tended to refer to contagion, while when explaining non-contagious illnesses, they sometimes mentioned inherited constitution. But mention of heredity was never observed for contagious illnesses and injuries. In Studies 3 and 4, 5–11-year-old children consistently denied a belief in immanent justice. For contagious illnesses, they appeared to notice that physical contact with contaminants make us sick. Older children's awareness appeared to become more differentiated and sophisticated. From middle childhood, they come to notice that inherited constitution plays some role in susceptibility to non-contagious illnesses.