This study aimed to shed light on the causal frameworks utilized by children (5-, 7-, and 9-year-olds; = 92) and adults ( = 30) to understand the transmission of COVID-19 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants’ use of two prominent causal frameworks was examined: (1) a mechanical framework appealing to germ transfer and internalization (e.g., “Breathing people’s air sends germs into your body”), and (2) a biological framework appealing to the notion that germs are living things (e.g., “The virus lives and multiplies inside the body”). Results showed that participants at all ages relied on the mechanical framework to explain the transmission of COVID-19. Adults also invoked the biological framework in their explanations; however, 5- to 9-year-olds showed little evidence of biological reasoning. Findings are interpreted in terms of the potential role of the COVID-19 pandemic in shaping children’s knowledge and the implications of these findings for health and safety.

中文翻译：

---

儿童对 COVID-19 的理解：在全球大流行中获取有关细菌和传染病的知识

本研究旨在阐明儿童（5 岁、7 岁和 9 岁；= 92 岁）和成人（= 30 岁）使用的因果框架，以了解 COVID-19 大流行期间 COVID-19 的传播。参与者对两个重要因果框架的使用进行了检查：（1）一个吸引细菌转移和内化的机械框架（例如，“呼吸人们的空气会将细菌发送到你的身体”），以及（2）一个吸引细菌转移和内化的生物框架细菌是生物（例如，“病毒在体内生存并繁殖”）。结果显示，所有年龄段的参与者都依赖机械框架来解释 COVID-19 的传播。成年人在解释中也引用了生物学框架。然而，5 至 9 岁的孩子几乎没有表现出生物推理的证据。研究结果根据 COVID-19 大流行在塑造儿童知识方面的潜在作用以及这些研究结果对健康和安全的影响进行了解释。