This study involves playing with a robot or robot toy for 8-weeks as well as some in-person interviews before and after. We will give your child either a Sota toy or a Sota robot; before giving them to you, we will assess your child’s playing with standard tools (ChIPPA, PPEDC, TOP). One of these assessments, the Child-Initiated-Pretend Play Assessment (ChIPPA), requires your child to come on-site and play with the examiner for 30-45 minutes. For the Pretend Play Enjoyment- Developmental Checklist (PPEDC), you will complete a questionnaire, and the Test of Playfulness (TOP) will be completed by observing your child’s play (you can send a video to the researcher). Then, you will receive the Sota toy or robot. You can keep it for 8 weeks, and your child will be free to play with it. After 8 weeks, we want you to bring back Sota (we will give your child another toy instead!), and we will have an interview with your child and you, and all assessments will be repeated. Interviews will be audio recorded.
You will receive a $25 for your participation, and your child will receive an age-appropriate $50 toy after the completion of the study. We also compensate for parking fees. This research has been approved by the Health Research Ethics Board (HREB) at the University of Manitoba, Bannatyne Campus (HS26622).
