Computer Affect of Preschool Children and Perceived Affect of Their Parents, Teachers, and Peers

Abstract

Preschool children (N = 35) from a university child development laboratory participated in this study that focused on the affect of children of differing intellectual levels toward computer usage. The study also assessed the affect of parents, teachers, and peers toward computer usage as perceived by the children. Affect was measured by the amount of contact each child initiated with the computer in the preschool classroom and in an experimental activity and through administration of the Computer Affect Assessment, an instrument developed for this study. Children who were more cognitively mature as indicated by the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT) used the computer for longer periods of time during the experimental activity and were also more likely to attribute positive father and teacher affect to computer usage. Most children had initial positive affect toward computer usage, which continued or increased after four weeks of contact with the computer in the classroom.