Abstract:
In this paper, we present an AR Petite Theater, a story book that enables
role-play using augmented reality (AR) technology. It provides an opportunity
for children to learn the ability of empathy through interactive reading
experience by thinking and speaking in accordance with the character’s role
of the story. In general, empathy is one of most important elements for
children to make friends at school and to expand their social relations. In
particular, it is crucial for early school-age children who have difficulties
in getting along with friends due to their egocentric perspective. Through
the experiment with 24 six-year-old children, we measured children’s
role-playing participation and perspective taking state. As a result, more
empathic behaviors were revealed in the AR group. Children in the AR
condition were more actively involved in role-playing and showed less
unrelated perspectives than children in the non-AR condition. Therefore, we
verified that AR Petite Theater had the potential of expanding children’s
ability to empathize with others.