A Study On Preference Selection Of Miniatures In Sandplay Therapy Of 4-8 Years Old Children

The overall idea of this study is to compare differences between 4-8 years old children and adults on the selection and preference of miniatures’kinds.Through the analysis of age and gender factors which affect the choice to different kinds of miniatures, so we can investigate the suitable kinds and characteristics of miniatures for 4-8 years old children’s sandplay. The first experiment is a case study of children and adults, which quantitatively analyzed the usage of miniatures in actual sandplay cases of more than 60 participants.The second experiment used methods of eye-movement study, compared the differences of visual-fixation situation between participants of different age and gender, when they watched the material of all kinds of miniatures. Under the experimental conditions of study, vintegrating comprehensive data-analysis of those two experimental studies,we obtained the following four main conclusions:(1) There were significant differences between 4-8 years old children and adults on the selection for different kinds of miniatures. Children preferred to choose the following kinds of miniatures:Various animals, fairy tale and cartoons, household items. Adults preferred to choose the following kinds of miniatures: Human figures, various plants, myths and legends, cultural and religious, shadow and incomplete items. Regarding the choices of transportation, houses and constructions, material and shapes, war and military items, there was no significant difference between different ages.(2) For the usage of most kinds of miniatures, there was no significant difference between children of different ages (4-6 years pre-school children and 7-8 years primary school children of low-section), except for household items, houses and constructions. Pre-school children chose more household items than primary school children, but the choices of houses and constructions were on the contrary.(3) When 4-8 years old children watched those miniatures of 12 categories, their preferences basically complied with the following conditions. Miniatures of various animals, fairy tale and cartoons, household items, and transportation were given the highest degree of fixation; then followed by miniatures of human figures, material and shapes, houses and constructions, war and military items; miniatures of various plants, myths and legends, cultural and religious, shadow and incomplete items getted the lowest degree of fixation.(4) Compared to the age factor, gender had less effect on the choices of miniatures,but the influences can’t be ignored.Whether adults or children, male showed more interest in miniatures of various animals, transportation, and war and military items; while female preferred miniatures of fairy tale and cartoons, household items, and various plants.