An evaluation of The Great Escape: Can an interactive computer game improve young children's Fire safety knowledge and behaviors?

Abstract

Objective: Fire is a leading cause of unintentional injury and, although young children are at particularly increased risk, there are very few evidence-based resources available to teach them fire safety knowledge and behaviors. Using a pre-post randomized design, the current study evaluated the effectiveness of a computer game (The Great Escape) for teaching fire safety information to young children (3.5-6 years). Method: Using behavioral enactment procedures, children's knowledge and behaviors related to fire safety were compared to a control group of children before and after receiving the intervention. Results: The results indicated significant improvements in knowledge and fire safety behaviors in the intervention group but not the control. Conclusion: Using computer games can be an effective way to promote young children's understanding of safety and how to react in different hazardous situations. © 2012 American Psychological Association.