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Originalia

What Makes Preschoolers Listen to Narrative Audio Tapes?

Published Online:September 01, 2006https://doi.org/10.1026/1617-6383.18.1.9

Abstract

Abstract. Most communication studies on children and media have focused solely on television. Other popular media products such as narrative audio tapes have been neglected. The present article addresses factors that influence preschoolers’ selective exposure to these tapes. In line with past research, the emotional attractiveness of a story’s protagonist and some formal design elements of the product are regarded as determinants of children’s frequency and persistence of using a given tape. An experimental diary study with 79 preschoolers revealed that both factors do in fact influence children’s usage of the tape. The resulting implications for fundamental and applied research on children and media are discussed.


Warum nutzen Vorschulkinder Hörspielkassetten?

Zusammenfassung. Die medienpsychologische Forschung über Vorschulkinder hat sich bisher auf die Fernsehrezeption konzentriert und andere, ebenfalls in dieser Altersgruppe populäre Medienangebote vernachlässigt. Dies gilt unter anderem für Hörspielkassetten. In der vorliegenden Studie werden die Eigenschaften von Hörspielkassetten untersucht, die die Zuwendung von Vorschulkindern beeinflussen. Ausgehend von verwandter Forschung aus dem Fernsehbereich werden die emotionale Attraktivität des Protagonisten sowie bestimmte formale Gestaltungselemente (z.B. Musik) als Determinanten der Häufigkeit und Ausdauer, mit der Vorschulkinder Hörspielkassetten nutzen, modelliert. Eine experimentelle Tagebuchstudie mit N = 79 Vorschulkindern bestätigte die angenommenen Effekte. Die Ergebnisse werden mit Blick auf die (psychologische) Kindermedienforschung diskutiert.

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