The Childhood Assessment Tool—Electronic (CHAT-E) is an interactive tablet-based app designed to study young children’s perceptions. Developed by Dr. Terri Sabol and Andrea Busby of Northwestern University, the CHAT-E tool is adaptable to any research topic. The CHAT-E allows for cost-effective interviews, streamlined researcher training, high engagement among child participants, and greater overall accessibility than its predecessors.
The CHAT-E draws inspiration from the Berkeley Puppet Interview (BPI), a live puppet technique which engages young children in one-on-one conversations about their identity and environment (Measelle et al. 1998). The CHAT-E tool expands the study of young children’s perceptions by providing an engaging, electronic platform for a child-led, adult-assisted assessment. The CHAT-E is designed for children ages 3-8.
Our hope is that measuring children’s perceptions with the CHAT-E can propel the science of child development forward and provide important applications to early childhood policy.
