Minimal Groups Increase Young Children's Motivation and Learning on Group-Relevant Tasks

• Autores: Allison Master, Greg M. Walton
• Localización: Child development, ISSN 0009-3920, Vol. 84, Nº. 2, 2013, págs. 737-751
• Idioma: inglés
• Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
• Resumen

  • Three experiments (N = 130) used a minimal group manipulation to show that just perceived membership in a social group boosts young children's motivation for and learning from group-relevant tasks. In Experiment 1, 4-year-old children assigned to a minimal “puzzles group” persisted longer on a challenging puzzle than children identified as the “puzzles child” or children in a control condition. Experiment 2 showed that this boost in motivation occurred only when the group was associated with the task. In Experiment 3, children assigned to a minimal group associated with word learning learned more words than children assigned an analogous individual identity. The studies demonstrate that fostering shared motivations may be a powerful means by which to shape young children's academic outcomes.