The Puppet Interview Resource Hub: Survey Outlines, IRB Language & the Research Base
Written by Puppet Interview TeamUpdated
Puppet Interview Resource Hub
Everything you need to implement puppet-based surveys with children ages 4–8. The outlines below are starting points for your own item writing, not validated instruments. Pilot and review anything you take from here before fielding it.
260 draft items across four domains
Downloadable consent & assent wording
Browse the research library
Survey Topic Outlines
Social-Emotional Learning (SEL)
- • Self-awareness assessment (12 items)
- • Peer relationship evaluation (15 items)
- • Emotion regulation screening (10 items)
- • School belonging assessment (8 items)
- • Conflict resolution skills (14 items)
- • Empathy development measure (11 items)
Ages 4–8 · Bilingual · COPPA compliant
Academic Readiness
- • Pre-reading skills assessment (16 items)
- • Mathematical thinking evaluation (12 items)
- • Learning preferences survey (9 items)
- • Attention & focus screening (7 items)
- • Problem-solving approaches (13 items)
- • Technology comfort level (8 items)
Ages 4–8 · Bilingual · COPPA compliant
Health & Wellness
- • Physical activity preferences (10 items)
- • Nutrition awareness survey (8 items)
- • Sleep habits assessment (6 items)
- • Safety knowledge evaluation (12 items)
- • Body awareness & hygiene (9 items)
- • Mental health screening (11 items)
Ages 4–8 · Bilingual · COPPA compliant
Program Evaluation
- • After-school program satisfaction (14 items)
- • Early intervention outcomes (16 items)
- • Therapy session feedback (8 items)
- • Educational app usage (10 items)
- • Camp/enrichment experience (12 items)
- • Parent program involvement (9 items)
Ages 4–8 · Bilingual · COPPA compliant
Research Citations & Evidence Base
Original Berkeley Puppet Interview Research
Ablow, J. C., & Measelle, J. R. (1993). Berkeley Puppet Interview: Administration and scoring system manuals. University of California.
The foundational methodology paper establishing puppet interviews for ages 4–8.
Measelle, J. R., Ablow, J. C., Cowan, P. A., & Cowan, C. P. (1998). Assessing young children's views of their academic, social, and emotional lives: An evaluation of the self-perception scales of the Berkeley Puppet Interview. Child Development, 69(6), 1556-1576.
Validation study demonstrating reliability with teacher and parent reports.
Ringoot, A. P., et al. (2013). Young children's self-reported emotional, behavioral, and peer problems: The Berkeley Puppet Interview. Psychological Assessment, 25(4), 1273-1285.
Largest BPI validation to date: a Dutch community sample of 6,375 children ages 5–7, with confirmatory factor analysis supporting 8 latent factors.
Digital Adaptation Research (CHAT-E)
Sabol, T. J., Busby, A. K., & Hernandez, M. W. (2021). A critical gap in early childhood policies: Children's meaning making. Translational Issues in Psychological Science, 7(1), 9–20.
Discusses the Childhood Assessment Tool—Electronic (CHAT-E) as a tablet-based assessment paradigm building on the Berkeley Puppet Interview.
Implementation Checklists
IRB Submission Checklist
Download the IRB language pack (PDF): consent, assent and data-handling wording you can paste into a protocol.
Pre-Launch Checklist
Training Materials
Staff Training Modules
Module 1: Foundations
- • Child development principles
- • Puppet interview theory
- • Research ethics basics
Module 2: Practical Skills
- • Tablet setup & troubleshooting
- • Creating comfortable environments
- • Managing difficult behaviors
Module 3: Data & Quality
- • Data collection protocols
- • Quality assurance checks
- • Privacy & confidentiality
Technical Implementation Guide
Hardware Requirements
Recommended Setup:
- • iPad (2020 or newer)
- • Android tablets (Android 10+)
- • iOS 14.0+ / iPadOS 14.0+
- • 64GB+ storage capacity
- • Child-safe case & screen protector
- • Wired headphones (not bluetooth)
Network Requirements:
- • Wi-Fi for initial sync
- • Offline capability essential
- • Secure network (WPA2+)
- • Firewall exemptions for sync
Sample Size & Statistical Considerations
Power Analysis Guidelines
Effect Size Expectations:
- • Large effect (d=0.8): n=26 per group
- • Medium effect (d=0.5): n=64 per group
- • Small effect (d=0.3): n=176 per group
Planning assumptions:
Illustrative only. We do not publish effect-size norms for puppet-interview outcomes. Derive yours from a pilot or from studies matched to your population and construct. The research library is the place to start.
Ready to Get Started?
This resource hub is continuously updated with the latest templates, research, and best practices.
Questions? Email us at team+research@puppetinterview.com
Related Articles
Puppet Interview Method (Complete Guide)
A comprehensive, accessible guide to the Puppet Interview method for ages 4–8: origins (BPI), digital adaptations (CHAT-E), evidence of reliability, use cases, pros/cons, and implementation tips, with numbered references.
Designing Developmentally Appropriate Survey Questions for Young Children
A practical guide to designing developmentally appropriate, dichotomous (either-or) survey questions for children ages 4–8, grounded in the Berkeley Puppet Interview (BPI) and CHAT-E methods, with 50+ example prompts and explicit citations.
From Paper to iPad: Deploying Surveys in Classrooms Without IT Headaches
A plain-English guide to launching puppet-based, either-or iPad surveys in K–3 classrooms, with offline-first setup, in-app assent, privacy tips, troubleshooting, and links to ready-to-use item templates.
IRB, Consent & Child Assent for Digital Surveys: A Practical Playbook
A plain-English playbook for IRB, parental consent, and child assent for iPad-based puppet interviews with young children, plus a practical checklist.
Peer-Reviewed Research
A critical gap in early childhood policies: Children's meaning making
Sabol et al., Translational Issues in Psychological Science (2021)
Young children's self-reported emotional, behavioral, and peer problems: The Berkeley Puppet Interview
Ringoot et al., Psychological Assessment (2013)
Assessing young children's views of their academic, social, and emotional lives: An evaluation of the self-perception scales of the Berkeley Puppet Interview
Measelle et al., Child Development (1998)