Abstract

Children’s books serve as important vessels of information and knowledge, helping children learn as they are developing. Previous studies have investigated differences in the content of children’s books as a reflection of cultural differences, conducted mostly between countries that have different primary languages and cultural norms like collectivism and individualism. Despite their geographical closeness and other studies comparing Spanish speaking collectivist countries to the U.S., there has yet to be a study of this type conducted between the U.S. and Mexico to investigate if similar differences to these past studies are present. In the present study, fifteen popular books were selected from each country and read to count various psychological items. These values were then calculated by their number of appearances per 100 words, then compared through independent samples t-tests. The variables of interest were Positive, Negative, and Neutral Attributes (personality traits, such as calm, helpful, respectful, etc.), Positive and Negative Emotions, Singular and Group Pronouns, and Personal (interaction with family, a friend) and Impersonal (interaction with a stranger, or socially distant acquaintance like a boss) Interactions. Of the variables investigated, U.S. books held significantly more Positive Psychological Attributes, more Negative Emotions, and books popular in Mexico had significantly more Group Pronouns used, as a measure of collectivism. These findings indicate that there are not many differences in the content of children’s books between Mexico and the U.S., with the differences that are present indicating that only certain items reflect cultural differences in regard to children’s books.

Advisor

Chen, Peiyao

Department

Psychology

Disciplines

Comparative Psychology

Keywords

Cultural Differences, Psychological Attributes, Children’s books, Mexico, United States

Publication Date

2026

Degree Granted

Bachelor of Arts

Document Type

Senior Independent Study Thesis

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© Copyright 2026 Spencer E. Swartz