"Do Storybooks With Anthropomorphized Animal Characters Promote Prosocial Behaviors in Young Children?"
Children are more likely to learn and apply character lessons from books that feature human characters than from stories using humanlike animals, finds a new study in the journal Developmental Science.
Researchers from the University of Toronto read books to 96 children ages 4-6, whom they divided into three groups: one group heard a book on seeds, and two heard the same story about sharing using either human or humanlike animal characters. Researchers allowed the children to select 10 stickers before the experiment. They were given chances to share stickers with other children before and after reading the books.
Researchers found children who heard the book with human characters were more likely to share the stickers than they were before. Children who heard the other two books became less likely to share.
Vol. 37, Issue 02, Page 5Published in Print: August 30, 2017, as Character Education