Bibliotherapy and perceptions of death by young children

Abstract

This study explored the impact of bibliotherapy and parent-child discussion on a child´s understanding of death using a true experimental posttest-only control group design. Study participants included 16 girls and 13 boys aged 4 or 5 and their parents. Participants were randomly assigned to either control or experimental groups. Families in the experimental group read books provided by the experimenter and, while following a curriculum, discussed the issue of death. Fourteen "sessions," lasting from 15 to 20 minutes, took place in participants' homes over a 5-week period. Following this experience, both groups of children were interviewed by the experimenter. A t-test did not show a statistically significant difference between the groups at the .05 level Reasons for this result and recommendations for future studies are given.