Attention Paid by Children of Rural Mapuche, Urban Mapuche and Non-Indigenous Chilean Backgrounds to Interactions Directed at Others

Abstract

This study aimed to establish differences in third-party attention through a toy-building activity among children between 9 and 11 years old from three cultural backgrounds: Rural Mapuche, Urban Mapuche and non-Indigenous Chilean. It was also examined whether third-party attention is related to learning a previously observed activity. Third-party attention involves maintaining two or more foci of interest simultaneously without losing attention and or interrupting the course of a task. It is of interest to study because it may undergo changes as a result of exposure to schooling. Given that these groups differ in cultural practices and years of formal schooling, the hypothesis was that it might be possible to identify differences in their attention patterns. The results showed that it seems like practices of Rural Mapuche families encourage third-party attention much more so than the other groups; therefore, the learning of skills arises in constellations of cultural practices that involve children’s living conditions and guide their development.