How do families talk about nature?

For English-speaking kids (ages 5-10) and a parent/guardian.

You and your child will imagine that you are walking through a forest. You will see different pictures and hear some sounds to help you imagine that you are really there. The scenes will include plants, natural phenomena like waterfalls, and some animals. Note that one of the images has a dead bird in it (on the ground, not gory or gross in any way). We will ask you to talk with your child about the scenes as you would normally. A parent/guardian must be present and engaged throughout the entire duration of your child's participation in the study, both because CHS studies generally require this and also because this study is about talking with your child about the scenes you are viewing together. This is the first of a series of studies, and families who participate in this study might be invited to participate in several follow-up studies for additional compensation.

Previous research has found that children with different experiences with nature sometimes think, feel, and behave differently towards the natural world. In the current study, we are interested in how children's thinking about nature might relate to the kinds of conversations they have with their caregivers. Children learn important information about the world around them through their experiences and conversations with their caregivers, so the results of this research will help us to understand how children learn about nature from these conversations.

20 minutes

After you finish the study, we will email you a $10 Giftogram gift card within a week of participation. To be eligible for the gift card: (1) your child must be in the age range for this study, (2) a parent/guardian must be present and engaged throughout the entire duration of your child's participation in the study, both because CHS studies generally require this and also because this study is about talking with your child about the scenes you are viewing together, (3) you need to submit a valid consent statement, and (4) you and your child must speak English throughout the entire study. Each child is eligible to participate with a parent/guardian to receive a gift card only once; children cannot do the study more than once for compensation but parents are welcome to complete the study with multiple children in the age range. This is the first of a series of studies, and families who participate in this study might be invited to participate in several follow-up studies for additional compensation.