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Identification of alcohol by smell among young children: an objective measure of early learning in the home

1993; Elsevier BV; Volume: 34; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1016/0376-8716(93)90043-p

1879-0046

Emma Fossey,

Advanced Chemical Sensor Technologies

Familiarity with alcoholic beverages was assessed by means of a modified version of Jahoda and Cramond's ‘Recognition of Smells’ task (Jahoda, G. and Cramond, J. (1972) Children and Alcohol, HMSO, London). Two hundred and thirty-eight Scottish and English children aged 5.5–6.5, 7.5–8.5 and 9.5–10.5 years participated. When verbal identification was aided by pictorial cues, almost 95% of the sample identified at least one of the alcoholic beverages. Moreover, alcoholic beverages were identified significantly more often than non-alcoholic substances. The results highlight the early age at which awareness of alcohol begins, and emphasise the importance of children's home-based learning experiences in the development of alcohol cognitions. Both have important implications for alcohol education.