Waiters or Instant Snackers?
Poster Number
20C
Format
Poster Presentation
Faculty Mentor Name
Jessica Grady
Faculty Mentor Department
Psychology
Abstract/Artist Statement
Parents want their children to have patience and be able to wait when asked, however, young children often struggle with these two things. Why is it that children have such a hard time waiting for seemingly small periods of time? The present study observed 47 toddlers ages 21-24 months who were identified by their parents as being shy while they completed a snack delay task in the laboratory. Children were instructed to wait for the bell to ring after a predetermined period of time to eat a snack. There were four different wait times: 5 seconds, 10 seconds, 20 seconds, and 30 seconds. We measured for each wait time if the child waited, fidgeted, picked up the snack, and overall inhibitory control. It was hypothesized that toddlers are better able to wait during trials that are shorter than during trials that are longer. Data coding is ongoing. Findings may inform parents on reasonable expectations for their toddlers.
Location
DeRosa University Center, Ballroom
Start Date
28-4-2018 10:00 AM
End Date
28-4-2018 12:00 PM
Waiters or Instant Snackers?
DeRosa University Center, Ballroom
Parents want their children to have patience and be able to wait when asked, however, young children often struggle with these two things. Why is it that children have such a hard time waiting for seemingly small periods of time? The present study observed 47 toddlers ages 21-24 months who were identified by their parents as being shy while they completed a snack delay task in the laboratory. Children were instructed to wait for the bell to ring after a predetermined period of time to eat a snack. There were four different wait times: 5 seconds, 10 seconds, 20 seconds, and 30 seconds. We measured for each wait time if the child waited, fidgeted, picked up the snack, and overall inhibitory control. It was hypothesized that toddlers are better able to wait during trials that are shorter than during trials that are longer. Data coding is ongoing. Findings may inform parents on reasonable expectations for their toddlers.