Cross-Cultural Differences in Child Activities

Activities of daily living reflect critical contextual influences, operating via toddlers' exposure to culturally influenced learning over the course of early childhood. This chapter discusses the cross-cultural differences of various aspects of play, media exposure, and parent involvement in daily routine. Short-term cultural orientation was associated with more frequent play of both high- and low-intensity. Additionally, parents from more collectivistic cultures reported more TV exposure for their children than did parents from more individualistic cultures. Other, more nuanced patterns emerged as well, and are discussed with regard to existing literature and future exploration.