What Do You Think the Teacher Means?

For 6 to 8-year-olds

This study will take place on a video call, live with a researcher! Clicking on the “Schedule a time to participate” button will send you to an online calendar where you can select a date and time that works for you.
During the study, the experimenter will narrate a few brief stories about a teacher making comments (like praise or reminders) to students in a classroom setting. After each story, the experimenter will ask your child a few questions about the characters. For example, your child might be asked to rate how nice or smart they think a student is compared to other kids, or to explain why they think the teacher said something to a particular student.

Children regularly hear teachers make comments and reminders about behavior and performance, such as praising effort or encouraging kindness. Previous research shows that the way adults talk about behavior can shape how children think about people's traits and abilities. However, we know less about how children interpret specific types of teacher comments, such as certain types of praise, and what those comments suggest to children about a particular student.

In this study, we examine whether children use different types of teacher comments to draw inferences about a student's character or abilities. For example, does hearing a teacher remind a student to try hard lead children to think that student is less capable? By listening to short classroom scenarios and sharing their thoughts, children help us understand how everyday teacher language shapes children's social reasoning about others.

20 minutes

Families will receive a $3 Amazon.com digital gift card as a thank-you for participating. Compensation will be provided within a week after participation. To receive compensation you must meet all of the following eligibility criteria: (1) You are located within the United States, (2) Your child falls within the age range indicated for this study, (3) Your child has not participated in this study before, (4) You provide written valid consent (5) Your child is visible during the experiment.