An automated, data-driven approach to children's social dynamics in space and time

Author(s)
Lisa Horn, Márton Karsai, Gabriela Markova
Abstract

Most children first enter social groups of peers in preschool. In this context, children use movement as a social tool, resulting in distinctive proximity patterns in space and synchrony with others over time. However, the social implications of children's movements with peers in space and time are difficult to determine due to the difficulty of acquiring reliable data during natural interactions. In this article, we review research demonstrating that proximity and synchrony are important indicators of affiliation among preschoolers and highlight challenges in this line of research. We then argue for the advantages of using wearable sensor technology and machine learning analytics to quantify social movement. This technological and analytical advancement provides an unprecedented view of complex social interactions among preschoolers in natural settings, and can help integrate young children's movements with others in space and time into a coherent interaction framework.

Organisation(s)
Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Biology, Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology
External organisation(s)
Alfréd Rényi Institute of Mathematics, Paracelsus Medizinische Privatuniversität (PMU), Central European University Vienna
Journal
Child Development Perspectives
Volume
18
Pages
36-43
No. of pages
8
ISSN
1750-8592
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1111/cdep.12495
Publication date
03-2024
Peer reviewed
Yes
Austrian Fields of Science 2012
106051 Behavioural biology
Keywords
ASJC Scopus subject areas
Pediatrics, Perinatology, and Child Health, Developmental and Educational Psychology, Life-span and Life-course Studies
Portal url
https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/en/publications/fde3e98b-0230-45ab-8675-71dda0a2ee31