(function(doc, html, url) {
var widget = doc.createElement("div");
widget.innerHTML = html;
var script = doc.currentScript; // e = a.currentScript;
if (!script) {
var scripts = doc.scripts;
for (var i = 0; i < scripts.length; ++i) {
script = scripts[i];
if (script.src && script.src.indexOf(url) != -1) break;
}
}
script.parentElement.replaceChild(widget, script);
}(document, '
Measuring How Children Engage With Auditory Stories
What is it about?
When listening to a story, the degree to which an individual is engaged can affect how well they comprehend what they are hearing. In everyday life, when multiple demands are placed on us at once, greater mental effort is required to stay focused and perform well. Our study therefore investigates how the type of content children listen to, and how much they enjoy it, influences their ability to successfully complete a second task simultaneously.
Why is it important?
We found that stories children rated more as interesting resulted in longer reaction times when instructed to press an arrow key. This work highlights that mental resources are limited and therefore we cannot give 100% to all tasks at a given point. Our results suggest that children’s engagement with auditory narratives can be measured objectively, and that engagement varies across stories in a manner that is similar to adults.