Work

Differences in Young Children's Performance on Sequencing Questions When Asked About Descriptions Versus Their Experience

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: ABSTRACT Children's understanding of the temporal terms “first,” “before,” and “after” has implications for describing experienced events, but has typically been studied by asking them to interpret described events. In this study, one hundred and one 3‐ to 6‐year‐olds completed two tasks. In the description task, children heard sequences described using temporal terms in forward (X before Y/after X, Y) or backward order (before Y, X/Y after X) and were asked what happened “first.” Children exhibited an order of mention bias, performing better in forward order, with no difference on “before” and “after.” In the experience task, children observed sequences and answered questions using temporal terms, with “before” and “after” asked both in forward (what happened before X?/after X, what happened?) and backward order (before X, what happened?/what happened after X?). Order made no difference. Children exhibited a forward order bias, performing better on “after” than “before,” and younger children performed best on “first.”

Source: Applied Cognitive Psychology

DOI: 10.1002/acp.70101

Authors: Breanne E. Wylie, Deborah Z. Kamliot, Thomas D. Lyon, J. Zoe Klemfuss

Institutions: North Carolina State University, University of California, Irvine, University of Southern California

Language: English

Topic: Language Development and Disorders

Subfield: Developmental and Educational Psychology

Field: Psychology

Domain: Social Sciences

Open Access status: green

Funder: Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development

Award: Children's Comprehension and Memory of Event Sequences and Its Implications for Maltreatment Disclosure