Researchers Explore the Role of Animal Characters in Early Psychological Development

Children's books have long featured beloved animal characters like Peter Rabbit. Beyond sparking imagination, these non-human protagonists may also play a significant role in fostering children’s psychological development. A recent study from the University of Plymouth reveals that animal characters can help children develop "theory of mind" skills—the ability to interpret and predict social cues such as tone of voice, choice of words, and facial expressions—at an earlier stage than stories featuring human characters.

Animal Characters Help Young Learners Catch Up to Older Peers

The study, led by Dr. Gray Atherton and Dr. Liam Cross, involved more than 100 children aged 5 to 10. Researchers assessed the children’s theory of mind skills using stories featuring either human or animal characters.

When human characters were used, there was a clear progression: older children consistently outperformed their younger counterparts. Year 3 children even scored higher than expected in tests involving human characters. However, when animal characters were introduced, younger children (Year 1) performed just as well as the older children (Year 3).

"Our findings showed that both human and non-human characters are important in helping children interpret the world around them, and that they play differing roles at different stages in their development,” said Dr. Atherton.

Adapting Classrooms to Support Child Development

The findings have significant implications for early childhood education. Adapting lessons and activities in nurseries and early school years to include both human and animal characters could help younger children enhance their development.

This research also offers potential benefits for children with autism or learning disabilities. It expands upon earlier work by Drs. Atherton and Cross, which investigated factors influencing the educational and social development of people with autism and learning difficulties.

The researchers hope to expand their work by exploring whether animal-character-based stories could support children with autism.