The Role of Teacher Responses in Shaping Peer Perceptions

This study explores how 4- to 6-year-old children perceive their peers based on how teachers respond to them. Classroom interactions are critical to children’s development, so we are interested in understanding whether the way teachers respond to different students’ questions influences how children think about and perceive their peers. In this study, children will watch short animated videos featuring two teachers responding differently to two classmates' questions - one asks “Why do you think...?” whereas the other says “Because I said so”. After watching the videos, children will answer a few simple questions about how they view each classmate's academic and social abilities, and who they would prefer to be friends with.

Data collection for this study takes place online and is currently ongoing.