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The effect of travel effort on children's distance estimations
Author(s) -
Herman James F.,
Klein Christine A.
Publication year - 1985
Publication title -
british journal of developmental psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.062
H-Index - 75
eISSN - 2044-835X
pISSN - 0261-510X
DOI - 10.1111/j.2044-835x.1985.tb00987.x
Subject(s) - psychology , statistics , estimation , perception , social distance , mathematics , medicine , management , disease , covid-19 , pathology , neuroscience , infectious disease (medical specialty) , economics
Second (mean age = 8:2), fourth (mean age = 10:2), and sixth graders (mean age = 12:2) were tested in two experiments. In Expt 1 children in the effort condition traversed a distance between two locations by walking up a hill while children in the non‐effort condition walked the same distance along level ground. They were then asked to estimate the walked distance. The condition effect was marginally significant, with the mean estimate in the non‐effort condition larger than in the effort condition. In Expt 2 children in the effort condition traversed the distance between two locations by walking and stepping through an obstacle course while children in the non‐effort condition walked the same distance without the course. They were then asked to estimate the distance and duration of the walk. There was a significant condition effect on the distance estimation task (non‐effort > effort) and this effect was more marked at younger age levels. The time estimation data suggested that only fourth and sixth graders used their perception of travel time to estimate distance. These results are discussed in relation to previous studies examining travel effort and the time—distance relationship.