Attention to instruction directed to another by U.S. Mexican-heritage children of varying cultural backgrounds.
Children commonly observe and pitch in to ongoing activities in Indigenous communities of Mexico, according to ethnographic research. The present study examines the generality of this approach to learning by comparing its use among Mexican immigrants of two cultural backgrounds in the United States. Results showed more sustained attention to (and learning from) instruction directed to another person by 22 U.S. Mexican-heritage 6- to 11-year-old children whose families likely have experience with Indigenous practices (and limited involvement in Western schooling), compared with 16 U.S. Mexican-heritage children whose families have extensive involvement in Western schooling (and related practices).
López
Angélica
A
Department of Psychology, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA. axlopez@ucsc.edu
Correa-Chávez
Maricela
M
Rogoff
Barbara
B
Gutiérrez
Kris
K
D000069:Acculturation; D001288:Attention; D002648:Child; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D003469:Culture; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007100:Imitative Behavior; D007858:Learning; D008297:Male; D017058:Mexican Americans / Q000523:psychology*; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D012919:Social Behavior; D012931:Social Environment; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013663:Teaching