Children’s play and friendships

Question 1

explain the different stages in childhood of peer influence

Answer 1

• in infancy and toddlerhodd: limited influence (mostly family/caregivers)
• in childhood: main interaction with peers is through play; still less important than family but a slight shift
• teenagers: growing influence of peers

Question 2

outline the start of peer relationships?

Answer 2

• newborns: distinguish their own cries and those other babies
• positive interest in others at 6 months - will reach for other
• first friendships in toddler/pre-school years
• 3/4 years - at least one “friendship” (a more fluid friendship)

Question 3

explain what bigelow and la gaipa 1980’s theory on what friendships are based on throughout childhood

Answer 3

• 6-8 year olds: location, activities
• 9-10 year olds: shared values, rules
• 11-12 year olds: understanding, shared interests

Question 4

what is the shift from friendships based on

Answer 4

• younger children doing activities together, helping, living close to each other
• older children start to place importance on admiration, intimacy, being accepted, loyalty but understand a need for other friends
• preference from same-sex playmates early on (depending on how gender neutrality there is in the schools)

Question 5

explain free play

Answer 5

• enjoyable
• intrinsically motivated
• concerned with means not ends
• free from external rules
• highly engaging (fun)

Question 6

what skills does play change depending on?

Answer 6

• motor skills
• social skills
• cognitive skills
• language skills

Question 7

name four types of play

Answer 7

• object/sensorimotor play (easiest forms of play)
• pretend play
• social pretend/sociodramatic play
• language play

Question 8

outline the social play timeline

Answer 8

• 3 years: children begin to engage in complex cooperative and dramatic play
• 4-5 years: longer play sequence, more willing to negotiate roles, rules, and themes
• 6 years: peak in pretend play
• 7-8 years: big on rules, large groups, games can last for hours

Question 9

what are the four classic theories of play?

Answer 9

• surplus energy (Spencer,1875) - release excess energy
• relaxation (Lazarus, 1883) - replenishes energy
• recapitulation (Hall, 1906) - unnecessary primitive behaviours
• preparation theory (Groos. 1898) - rough and tumble play

Question 10

what are the two main types of contemporary theories of play?

Answer 10

• psychoanalytic theories: cathatric (Freud, 1908), psychosocial theory (Erikson, 1977)
• cognitive theories: (piaget, 1962), (Vygotsky, 1978)