Phelps 2006 Gaze Aversion

Question 1

What are the key concepts in what we read?

Answer 1

• How and when does gaze aversion develop

-Examine the role of GA in 5 yr olds

Question 2

What question(s) did the author(s) set out to answer?

Answer 2

Exp 1:
1. Can you teach kids to avert their gaze as a strategy?
- Results: yes

2. Does it improve their performance
   - Results: yes

Exp 2:
1. How much does spontaneous GA develop in the first year of school

Question 3

How did the author(s) go about studying their research question(s)?

Answer 3

Experiment 1

• N = 20 5yr olds
• Randomly assigned
• Tested individually
  
  • Practice 20 q
  • Test 48 Qs
    
    • 1/2 easy, 1/2 moderately difficult verbal and arithmetic
    • Repeated instructions from practice
  • The treatment group was given a dif Prompt in the practice phase

Experiment 2

• 3 groups of different kids Kindergarten
  
  • early kindergarten
  • 6 months into kinder
  • end of kinder
• Procedure
  
  • No GA training
  • Asked verbal and arithmetic questions
    
    • 1/2 easy, 1/2 moderately difficult

Question 4

What did they find?

Answer 4

Experiment 1

1. Main effects for time in Gaze Accuracy
   
   1. Verbal vs. arithmetic items
      
      1. No difference length of time spent in GA
   2. Moderately difficult vs. easy items
      
      1. More GA with moderately difficult items than easy ones
   3. Treatment VS. Control
      
      1. More gaze aversion in the treatment group - GA can be trained
2. Main effects for Accuracy
   
   1. Verbal vs. arithmetic items
      
      1. No difference in accuracy
   2. Moderately difficult vs. easy items
      
      1. More correct answers for easy questions
   3. Treatment vs. Control
      
      1. Higher rate of accuracy among treatment group compared to control - GA improved performance

Experiment 2

1. Verbal and arithmetic questions has equal levels of GA
2. More GA for hard questions
3. Substantial acquisition of spontaneous GA during kindergarten - w/ no training
4. Levels of GA at the end of kinder still far lower than 8 yr old (GA is always increasing)

Question 5

Why should we care?

Answer 5

1. GA appears to be a simple way on in which to improve a child’s cognitive performance on tasks with a reasonable level of challenge
2. GA can be used as an overt cue of a child’s cognitive involvement
3. We can expect kindergarten to improve their GA skills on their own AND development to continue to at least age 8