Young Children’s Activity Involvement and Responses to Yes/No Questions

• Published in: Journal of psycholinguistic research Vol. 49; no. 3; pp. 401 - 414
• Main Authors: Behzadnia, Ali, Mehrani Rad, Mehdi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01.06.2020; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Accuracy; Age Differences; Age effects; Art Activities; Behavioral Science and Psychology; Child; Child, Preschool; Cognitive Psychology; Compliance; Compliance (Psychology); Comprehension; Concept Formation; Feedback (Response); Female; Humans; Indo European Languages; Iran; Language Development; Male; Persian language; Preschool Children; Psycholinguistics; Psychology; Questioning Techniques; Questions; Responses; Iran; Young children; Suggestibility; Yes/no questions; Compliance tendency; Response accuracy
• ISSN: 0090-6905; 1573-6555; 1573-6555
• DOI: 10.1007/s10936-019-09685-4

In the present study, we investigated younger and older Persian preschoolers’ response tendency and accuracy toward yes/no questions about a coloring activity. Overall, 107 three- to four-year-olds and five- to six-year-old children were asked positive and negative yes/no questions about a picture coloring activity. The questions focused on three question contents namely, actions, environment and person. As for children’s response tendency, they showed a compliance tendency. That is, they provided yes and no responses to positively and negatively formed questions respectively. Children especially younger ones were more compliant toward positive questions and their tendency decreased by age. In addition, the results revealed children’s highest rate of compliance tendency toward environment inquiries. Concerning response accuracy, the effects of age and question content were significant. Specifically, older children provided more accurate responses than their younger counterparts, especially to yes/no questions asked about the actions performed during the activity. The findings suggest that depending on the format and the content of yes/no questions younger and older children’s response accuracy and tendency differ.