The effect of augmented reality-enriched stories on altruistic sharing behavior

This study aims to determine the effect of reading augmented reality (AR)-enriched stories related to sharing on children’s altruistic sharing behavior. In recent years, AR applications have been increasingly utilized in early childhood education to enhance engagement and motivation; however, there is limited knowledge about their impact on children’s social and moral development. Addressing this gap, the present study focuses on how interactive, immersive storytelling environments can foster prosocial behaviors, particularly altruistic sharing, in preschool children. A total of 300 children aged 4–6 from 21 kindergarten classrooms participated in the study. The classrooms were randomly assigned to one of three groups: a group that received an AR-enriched sharing storybook, a group that received a non-AR digital sharing storybook, and a group that received a digital storybook unrelated to sharing (control group). The sharing behavior of the participating children was measured before and after the story sessions using a standardized sticker-sharing protocol. Each child was read the story individually, according to their assigned group. The difference between children’s post-story and pre-story sharing behaviors was calculated, and the sharing differences among the three groups were compared using ANOVA. As a result, it was found that the children who listened to the AR-enriched story about sharing showed a significantly greater increase in sharing behavior compared to the other two groups. These findings highlight the potential of AR-supported storybooks as effective pedagogical tools for enhancing altruistic and prosocial behaviors in early childhood education.