Part of the show: Discussing and designing pseudo-interactions in educational screen media for preschoolers with parents and elementary-aged children
Year: 2026
Type: conference-paper
Abstract: Pseudo-interactions in educational children’s screen media may support preschoolers’ (i.e., 3-5-year-olds) learning, but little is known on if and how parents or children consider them to be a valuable tool. This study employed expanded proxy design to explore 21 parents’ and 20 elementary school-aged (i.e., 8-11-year-old) children’s perceptions of and designs for pseudo-interactions. Overall, participants thought pseudo-interactions in screen media for preschoolers had educational value, but their effectiveness depended on various factors, including the viewer’s age, the content the pseudo-interaction was embedded in, and their intended purpose (e.g., to emphasize important information). Additionally, participants often generated pseudo-interactions that invited viewers to respond, yet did not include elements, such as adequately-timed pauses or responses, that would suggest social reciprocity between the character and audience. The insights from this study may inform the design of both future non-interactive media and emerging interactive technologies for children.
Authors: Jennica Li, Eleanor Desing, Heather Kirkorian
Institution: University of Wisconsin–Madison
Subfield: Education
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
SDG: Quality education
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W7165361503