Elizabeth Harst
Research Mentor: Sabina Li
Mentor Department: Psychology, LSA
Author(s): Elizabeth Harst, Sabina Li
Session: Session 2 (10:00 AM – 10:50 AM)
Presentation Type: Poster 138
Abstract
Learning about illnesses can be a confusing and frightening process for children, especially those unfamiliar with how they are transmitted and what effects they may have. The methods used and environments in which children learn about illness can greatly vary their understanding. This study is meant to investigate how children think and learn about viral transmission risk in the context of various social relationships, such as transmission through friends, family, and strangers. It uses a short Qualtrics survey with multiple-choice and open-ended questions given through the Living Lib at local Ann Arbor museums, specifically the University of Michigan Museum of Natural History and the Ann Arbor Hands On Museum. Data included 100 visiting children between the ages of five and twelve, with 25 children in each two-year age range. The study is unique in that most of the questions do not highlight illness or COVID-19 specifically, but rather the social relationship. While the study is still in progress, some preliminary findings have been found showing that children respond in the context of COVID-19 and other viruses, even for questions that do not portray anyone being sick. Also, children are more likely to trust the health of a family member or friend than that of a stranger. This study is part of a larger project meant to improve children’s education on illnesses, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic and the varied information children received during and afterwards. This study can help us in our education on preventative measures for children by first evaluating their current understanding so that teaching methods can be improved and fit to appropriate age groups.
