Au et al., 2008: Teaching about the biological theory of germs increased hand washing among 4th-grade children
Reference:
Au, T. K. F., Chan, C. K., Chan, T. K., Cheung, M. W., Ho, J. Y., & Ip, G. W. (2008). Folkbiology meets microbiology: A study of conceptual and behavioral change. Cognitive Psychology, 57(1), 1-19.
Download PDFSummary:
Teaching 4th-grade children in Hong Kong following the 2003 SARS epidemic the biological theory of germs, challenging the traditional folk theory that being cold causes colds, increased the percentage who washed their hands before folding napkins for a class party from 14% to 41%. The effects were observed above and beyond a teacher-designed program based on publicly available resources, which emphasized the symptoms of flus, do’s and don’ts, etc.
Psychological Process:
What Desired Meaning is At Stake?
What is the Person Trying to Understand?
Personal and Social ExperiencesApproach to Desired Meaning
What about it?
Changing beliefs in and about interpersonal conflicts and interactionsHow?
Psychological Question Addressed
How does my body interact with the external world?How does my body interact with the external world?Psychological Question Addressed
How does my body interact with the external world?Psychological Process 2:
Psychological Process 3:
Social Area:
Health
Intervention Technique:
Prompting with information