Computer Affect of Preschool Children and Perceived Affect of their Parents, Teachers, and Peers
Document Type
Article
Journal/Book Title/Conference
Journal of Genetic Psychology
Volume
147
Issue
4
Publisher
Taylor & Francis (Routledge)
Publication Date
1986
First Page
497
Last Page
506
Abstract
Preschool children (N = 35) from a university child development laboratory participated in this study that focused on the affect of children of differing intellectual levels toward computer usage. The study also assessed the affect of parents, teachers, and peers toward computer usage as perceived by the children. Affect was measured by the amount of contact each child initiated with the computer in the preschool classroom and in an experimental activity and through administration of the Computer Affect Assessment, an instrument developed for this study. Children who were more cognitively mature as indicated by the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT) used the computer for longer periods of time during the experimental activity and were also more likely to attribute positive father and teacher affect to computer usage. Most children had initial positive affect toward computer usage, which continued or increased after four weeks of contact with the computer in the classroom.
Recommended Citation
Computer Affect of Preschool Children and Perceived Affect of their Parents, Teachers, and Peers. Kristin McBride and Ann M. Berghout Austin, Journal of Genetic Psychology, 1986, 147 (4), 497-506.