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Preschoolers' communication during scripted interactions

K J Short-Meyerson1, L J Abbeduto

  • 1University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA.

Journal of Child Language
|June 1, 1997
PubMed
Summary
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Children

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Psychology
  • Child Communication Studies

Background:

  • Pretend play is crucial for social and cognitive development in young children.
  • Effective communication relies on establishing mutual knowledge between partners.
  • Script knowledge influences how children interact during shared activities.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate how shared script knowledge affects communicative interactions in preschoolers during pretend play.
  • To examine the strategies children use to establish mutual knowledge and their impact on communication effectiveness.

Main Methods:

  • 15 dyads of four- to five-year-olds participated in pretend play scenarios.
  • Two conditions were implemented: MATCHED (both children knew the script) and MISMATCHED (one child knew the script, the other did not).

Related Experiment Videos

  • Communication quantity, quality, and mutual knowledge establishment strategies were analyzed.

    • Main Results:

    • Shared script knowledge significantly improved communicative interactions, evidenced by better topic maintenance and fewer clarifications.
    • Children in the MISMATCHED condition more actively attempted to establish mutual knowledge.
    • The ability to establish mutual knowledge was positively correlated with communicative effectiveness.

    Conclusions:

    • Shared understanding of scripts enhances young children's collaborative pretend play and communication.
    • Children adapt their communication strategies to bridge knowledge gaps and achieve mutual understanding.
    • Facilitating mutual knowledge establishment is key to improving communicative effectiveness in early childhood interactions.