Change in Third-Party Attention Across Generations of Guatemalan Mayan Families

• In Event: Children’s strengths for learning and communication in LOPI, in Indigenous-heritage communities of the Americas

Abstract

Indigenous children of the Americas often attend to surrounding activities, more than European-American children, in third-party attention that may facilitate learning. However, with globalization, third-party attention may decrease. This study examines changes in alertness to surrounding events by 3-6-year-old Guatemalan Mayan children from 22 families that were observed across three decades. The children showed a small decline in third-party attention (61% before vs. 52% now, p=.05). Instead, children now spend more time attending to their own activities (21% before vs. 31% now, p=.01). The changes were less than expected, compared with changes in children’s mutual collaboration. Findings suggest that, despite increased focus on individual activities, third-party attention has declined but remains common among these Mayan children.

Authors

• Katie G. Silva, University of California - Santa Cruz

• Itzel Aceves-Azuara, California State University - Sacramento

• Barbara Rogoff, University of California - Santa Cruz