Kids need more time than adults give them, study finds
From EurekAlert! - Breaking News:
Further proof that children require more time comes via a study to be published today in Developmental Science asserting that the fast pace expected by adults--both parents and educators--can be beyond chindren's perceptual abilities.
"Children are increasingly being expected to provide an adult-level of detail and information," says David Shore, associate professor in McMaster University's Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour.
"Adults have had years to hone their perceptual skills; children--even 10 year olds--are just starting out."
The study is the first to probe so-called change blindness in children, a hot topic in psychology circles especially when it pertains to gauging the veracity of children who are called upon to give eye-witness testimony in court.
"When it comes to many aspects of attention, an eight-year-old's skill is adult-like," says Shore.
"But on this particular skill we never thought 10-year-olds would differ so dramatically from adults.
Kids do not appear adult-like in this regard until their early teens."
Shore's study looked at the development of change detection in children ranging from ages six to 10 and found that, contrary to societal perception, even 10-year-olds cannot be relied upon to provide adult-like details.
Children learn through repetition, at a pace suitable to the child, not to the curriculum.
McMaster University, a world-renowned, research-intensive university, fosters a culture of innovation, and a commitment to discovery and learning in teaching, research and scholarship.
Based in Hamilton, the University, one of only four Canadian universities to be listed on the Top 100 universities in the world, has a student population of more than 23,000, and an alumni population of more than 120,000 in 128 countries.
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