Four children holding hands

“The influence of adult and peer role models on children’ and adolescents’ sharing decisions”: Sample selection and the importance of research context

Ruggeri et al. (2018) are interested in the sharing decisions of Italian and Singaporean children and adolescents, examining – through an adapted dictator game with the use of a comic character, so as to experimentally study how the participants think goods should be shared – the influence of peers versus adults and of fair versus unfair suggestions. And while the unsurprising findings still offer useful insights to educators and practitioners who work with young people, there should also be greater attention on sample selection and the importance of research context.

Kindle on bed

“The relationship among screen use, sleep, and emotional / behavioural difficulties in preschool children with neurodevelopmental disorders”: Generalisability and external validity

Whereas TODAY ran with the headline “Children exposed to digital devices at an early age may have emotional and behavioural difficulties” (TODAY, Nov. 12) – summarising a research study which sought to understand the relationship between screen use, sleep, and emotional or behavioural difficulties (EBDs) – the actual publication specified that the sample was pre-school children with neuro-developmental disorders (NDDs), not Singaporean children in general.