We all want to forget the quarantine measures applied during the COVID-19 epidemic. But seeing the outbreak and these measures have permanent effects on society makes it almost impossible to forget. A new research shows the long -term effects of quarantines on social cognition, an important skill among children.

Social cognition can be defined as the ability to understand another person’s behavior. It enables us to interpret and predict others’ actions and are very important to establish positive relationships and to communicate effectively with others.

Now, although it is necessary to prevent the spread of COVID-19, it is seen that quarantines, social distance and school closure adversely affect the development of social cognition, especially preschool children with a low socioeconomic history.

Wrong belief understanding

A team at the University of California-Merced compared the data of children between the age of 3 and a half and 5 and a half years, which were collected before and after the outbreak to reach this result. The data concerned a phenomenon called false belief, in other words, the ability to realize that other people could be mistaken.

Rose Scott, a professor of psychology at the University of California – Merced, said in a statement, “It was remarkable to see the decline in the performance of children’s performance,” he said. Immediately after the quarantines, we saw that 5 -year -old children could not pass. ”

Four -fifty -fifty children who were tested before the quarantine successfully completed the test, while only 63 %of the post -quarantine group (a little more than three) test passed. This ratio fell to 51 %in low -income households. Although the study does not determine the reasons for this difference, previous research suggests that quarantines offer high -income families for an additional one -on -one time, which is the positive effect of quarantines.

Problems may arise in later ages

According to Scott, children who lack these basic skills may have difficulty in socializing with their peers in the coming years and being academically successful. “Imagine what a child should do to interact with others in the classroom. They want to make friends, but they need to take into account other perspectives in order to establish effective social interactions, SC said Scott, two children who want to play different games as an example and two different perspectives in order to reach an agreement on this issue.

This is not the first research that shows the effect of quarantines on child health and development. From premature aging in the brains of adolescence girls to the increase in developmental delays, COVID-19 is increasingly seen that the epidemic has a long-term effect on children and young people.

The research was published in Scientific Research.