UNDERSTANDING HEARING
What do children understand about the senses? When do they know that others' hear things? Will young children change how loud they are for others' benefit?
ITERATIVE RESEARCH FOR STUDY DESIGN
Issue 1: When may children choose to be quiet?
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Parent having a conversation? - No - great individual differences in children's responses.
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Parent on the phone?- No - children upset, often got louder.
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To keep from waking a baby +Yes - children show signs of hushing.
Issue 2: What is a novel way to make noise?
+ Tubes filled with noisy/silent materials
+ Engaging, but not too loud
FORMAL EXPERIMENT
Procedure
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First, introduce toys to children. Observe:
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Choice of loud/quiet object
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Amount of noise made
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Next, introduce baby doll, ask children to wake or let sleep. Observe.
RESULTS
When asked to wake baby, 2- and 3- year-olds took the louder object and made more noise.
Even toddlers have an understanding of how hearing works.
PRODUCTS OF THIS WORK
Journal Article:
Williamson, R. A., Brooks, R., & Meltzoff, A. N. (2015). The sound of social cognition: Toddlers’ understanding of how sound influences others. Journal of Cognition and Development, 16, 252-260. doi: 10.1080/15248372.2013.824884
Presentations:
Williamson, R. A., Brooks, R., & Meltzoff, A.N. (April, 2013). The sound of social cognition: Two- and three-year-olds’ understanding of how sound influences others. Poster presentation at the 2013 Biennial Meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development, Seattle, WA.
Williamson, R. A., Brooks, R., & Meltzoff, A. N. (October, 2011). Two-year-olds’ use of sound to attract attention. Poster presented at the Seventh Biennial Meeting of the Cognitive Development Society, Philadelphia, PA.
Sample Media Coverage:
Daily Mail UK: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3086706/The-terrible-twos-REAL-Toddlers-know-throwing-tantrums-24-months-old.html
Science Daily: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/05/150511125223.htm
Yahoo! Lifestyle India: https://in.lifestyle.yahoo.com/toddlers-actually-understand-sound-affects-others-101840012.html
Mom.me: http://mom.me/in-the-loop/19726-toddlers-know-exactly-what-theyre-doing-when-they-have-tantrum/