title: Question, Explanation, Follow-Up: A Mechanism for Learning From Others?
abstract: This study explored differences in caregiver-child interactions following children's information-seeking questions. Naturalistic speech from thirty-seven 4-year-olds and their caregivers was used to explore children's information-seeking questions, the caregiver's response, and children's subsequent follow-up. Half of the families were low-socioeconomic status (SES) and the other half were mid-SES. Although children across socioeconomic groups asked a similar proportion of questions, mid-SES caregivers offered significantly more explanatory responses to causal questions as well as more noncircular explanations than low-SES caregivers. No differences were found in children's follow-up to responses given to fact-based questions; however, after hearing unsatisfactory responses to causal questions, mid-SES children were significantly more likely to provide their own explanation. Such variability in caregiver-child interaction may have implications for subsequent learning.
authors.affiliation: Merrimack College.
authors.forename: Katelyn E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Kurkul
authors.affiliation: Boston University.
authors.forename: Kathleen H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Corriveau
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002652:Child Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005106:Exploratory Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning; D008297:Male; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D016487:Parenting / Q000523:psychology*; D012923:Social Class