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KMID : 1024520160250091323
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Journal of the Environmental Sciences
2016 Volume.25 No. 9 p.1323 ~ p.1328
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Effects of Forest Experience on Emotional Changes in Preschool Children Exposed to Smartphones
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Lee Ju-Young
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Abstract
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This study aims to identify the beneficial effects of forest experience on emotional changes in young children who are exposed to smartphones in daily life. This research was conducted on 41 children aged five and six years at a kindergarten in Chungcheongnamdo province. The children participated in a five-month forest experience program, conducted twice a week. Before beginning the study, its purpose and procedure were explained to the children's parents and kindergarten teachers, after which written content was collected. Before and after the five-month experience, questionnaires about smartphone use and emotional conditions were administered through the parents. The participants were divided into two groups, namely average-use and high-use groups, depending on the smartphone addiction proneness score. It was found that negative psychological subscales such as anxiety, impulse, and depression decreased following the five-month forest experience in both groups. Positive psychological attitudes such as sociability and creativity increased significantly after the forest experience. The high-use group showed a wider range of positive changes compared to the average-use group. Accordingly, forest experiences can be used as an effective solution for smartphone addiction problems among young children.
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KEYWORD
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Smartphone addiction, Contact with nature, Negative emotions, Questionnaire
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