Bibliotherapy and perceptions of death by young children

This study explored the impact of bibliotherapy and parent-child discussion
on a child´s understanding of death using a true experimental posttest-only
control group design. Study participants included 16 girls and 13 boys aged 4
or 5 and their parents. Participants were randomly assigned to either control
or experimental groups. Families in the experimental group read books provided
by the experimenter and, while following a curriculum, discussed the issue of
death. Fourteen "sessions," lasting from 15 to 20 minutes, took place in
participants' homes over a 5-week period. Following this experience, both
groups of children were interviewed by the experimenter. A t-test did not show
a statistically significant difference between the groups at the .05 level Reasons
for this result and recommendations for future studies are given.