| Abstract: | Activity preferences of 29 preschool children were recorded over a 2-week period while children were engaged in self-selected activities. Subsequently a microcomputer was introduced into the classroom, and the children were given 3 weeks to accustom themselves to this new activity area. Another 2-week observation period followed, during which activity preferences were again recorded, this time including the computer as an activity choice. Analyses indicate that involvement in art activity decreased during the second observation, and that the same children who decreased this activity also switched to involvement with the computer. No sex or age difference in computer use was found, and the computer did not appear to affect socialization. The need for further study of the impact of the computer in preschool settings is discussed. |
