Play

Question 1

Defining play

Answer 1

Difficult

- one common theme= a behaviour which is enjoyable but serves no immediate purpose - Slater & Bremner, (2011)

Question 2

Historical theories of play
- surplus energy
who, what, eval (2)

Answer 2

Spencer (1875):
- when there’s an excess of energy in the biological system the child partakes in play to expel this energy
EVAL
1) children engage in play even when exhausted/ some children don’t “play” at all i.e. library > outside (Tizard et al. 1988)
2) very few engage in rigorous play (armstrong et al. 1996)

Question 3

Cogntive theories of play - vygotsky - when what BUT(3)

Answer 3

(1967)
- practise different roles, create relationships etc
- Language & and play are interlinked (inner speech)
- Play creates a zone of proximal development (ZPD)
BUT
1) only ref’d to sociodramatic/ make believe play

Question 4

Function of play - An Attachment Perspective

Basic theory - elab of basic (2) theory (2) - criticisms of the above studies (2)

Answer 4

• Ainsworth (1978) secure + support; parents as base
• Roggman et al. (1987) secure –> more imaginative play
  BUT
  Grossman et al. (2002): improves and challenges
  BUT
  Gagnon et al. (2013) - temperament
  Porter (2009) - support
  Smith & Vollsteat, 1985 - defs

Question 5

order of play & peer relations

Answer 5

Lynch & Simpson (2010)
solitary –> parallel –> collab.
-Behaviours become more and more peer directed; with initial interaction at showing an interest to imitation of behaviours

Question 6

language play
- Linked? (4) - inc. argument

1) symbolism vs visual

Answer 6

Levy (1984)
- determined that use of language varies with complexity of play
Orr & Geva (2015)
- symbolic play & language linked; why? - symbolism
- single object play; helps dev of motor behaviour & thus, play.
Smith & Jones (2011)
- visual object recognition may be the reason, not symbolism.
Hall et al. (2013)
- supports ^

Question 7

language play
- Linked? (4) - inc. argument

2) vocal play

Answer 7

• Turn taking -
  Jaffe et al. (2001)
• parental vocal play is timed to leave gaps; regulation of turn taking
  Gratier et al. (2015)
• controversy: infants must understand their behaviour will effect others to truly turn take in convo
  Striano et al. (2005)
• this contingency sensitivity changes around time of protoconversation

Question 8

Play criteria

Answer 8

• flexibility
• positive affect
• intrinsic motivation
• non linearity

Question 9

classification of play development

Answer 9

Similansky (1968)
functional
constructive
socio-dramatic
Rules

Question 10

Humour & play

- Can two year olds distinguish between pretend & joke?

Answer 10

can distinguish but at diff times
Hockia & Butcher (2015)
- 2 yrs = Humour & pretend play

BUT: influence from verbal cues

Hoicka & Martin (2016)

• verbal & non verbal paradigm
• 2 year olds can still do

Question 11

Is pretend play innate?

Answer 11

Lillard (2011)
- Yes (biologically based with no survival function)
- Height et al. (1999) (cross cultural) (focus on caregiver)
BUT
Chessa et al (2013)
- difference in types of play cross culturally; prob = lack of standardised measurements
- play is cross cultural but types vary

Question 12

Pretend play & cognitive skills

4

Answer 12

Tamis- LeMonda et al. (2004)
longitudinal study
Supportive parenting & fathers income pred outcome
BUT
10 mins a week
Father inclusion = WEIRD
Not fathers education but motivation
Temperament
~~
Fischer (1992) - problem solving & abstract thought
Colwell & Lindsey (2003) - perspective taking

BUT
Lillard et al. (2013)
- not problem solving (meta analysis void ^ method issues)
- perspective taking - didn’t control for age
- lang is related (underlying component)

BUT 
Bergen (2013) 
- Lillard doesnt explain why
- doesnt really measure pretend play 
- so cant really draw concs

Question 13

Gender & play – innate or socialisation?

innate*

Answer 13

innate
1) Connellan et al. (2000) faces
BUT
Hardly a diff & Escudero et al. (2013) - faces > mechanical
2) Todd et al. (2016) -Preferences before they know about gender stereotypes
BUT
children may have been influenced by others in room & parents may have

Question 14

Gender & play – innate or socialisation?

socialisation

Answer 14

**peers
- influence, interests, strereotypes (Martin et al. 2014)
** Parents
- Freeman (2007) kids know about stereotypes of parents
- egalitarian parents = share childcare therefore, open attitudes (Morris, 2013)
- fathers more likely to play stereotype play (Macdonald & Parke, 1986)
BUT
Leaper(2000)
- no difference in play & parents
- CONTEXT that matters
**culture
(Coltrane, 2010): expectations OR social cog theory

Question 15

Play therapy - effective?

3)

Answer 15

Lin & Bratton (2015)
- moderate effect size
BUT
- merged all ethic minority groups 
- there are ethnic differences (Vaughan, 2012)

2) Leblanc & Ritchie (2001)
- average effect size
BUT
Philips (2010)
- inconsistent data (shorter duration better in crisis?)
- method is poor: no follow ups (implications?)
- ethnocentrism