Play in Humans Flashcards
List parten’s 6 play stages
- unoccupied play
- solitary play
- onlooker play
- parallel play
- associative play
- cooperative play
What is parten’s first level?
unoccupied play
-child is not playing, observing
-standing in one spot, performing random movements
0-2 years of age
What is parten’s second level?
solitary (independent) play
- child plays alone + stays that way by being focused on actvity
- uninterested + unaware of what other’s are doing
- ages 2-3
What is parten’s third level?
onlooker play
- watches others play but does not play with them
-may engage in forms of social interaction (conversation about play)
ages 2-3
What is parten’s fourth level?
parallel play
- child plays seperately from others but close to them and mimics their actions
- transition from less mature to more mature play
2. 5-3.5 years
What is parten’s fifth level?
associative play
-child is interested in the people playing but not int the activity they are doing
-a lot of interaction but activities not coordinated
3-4 years of age
What is parten’s sixth level?
cooperative play
-child interested in both people and activity they are doing
-play is organised and participants have assigned roles
-increased self-identification with a group
-group identity emerges
4-6+ years of age
- OLDER CHILDREN
What changes occur in the cognitive complexity of play activities from infancy through the preschool period
- Parallel play
- Parallel aware play
- Simple pretend play
- Complementary and reciprocal play
- Cooperative social pretend play
- Complex social pretend play
What is parallel aware play?
Children engage in parallel play while occasionally looking at each other or monitoring each other’s activities
What is simple pretend play?
Children engage in similar activities while talking, smiling, sharing toys, or otherwise interacting
(1.5 - 2 years)
What is cooperative social pretend play?
Children play complementary pretend roles (Mommy and baby) but without any planning/discussion about the meaning of these roles
2.5-3 years
What is complex social pretend play?
Children actively plan their pretend play. They name and explicity assign roles for each player and propose a play script, and may stop playing to modify the script if play breaks down
What are actual gender differences?
- cognitive abilities
- aggression
- social interaction/play, activity levels/risk taking
- physical vulnerability
What is the gender difference of cognitive abilities?
boys have better spatial abilities while girls have better verbal skills
What is the gender difference of aggression?
boys show more physical aggression while girls have more passive, catty aggression
What is the gender difference of social interaction/play?
boys tend to play in rowdy, large groups while girls play in calm, small groups
What is the gender difference of activity levels/risk taking?
boys are usually more active overall
What is the gender difference of physical vulnerability?
boys are more prone to illness, get sick easier
How meaningful are these gender differences?
society encourages these differences and children want to fulfill these roles and norms
When is Gender identity established in kids?
Ages 2 to 3, acquisition of simple gender labels
Ages 5 to 7, unchanging attribute
When do children become aware of gender role stereotypes and do they take these stereotypes seriously?
2 ½ year olds some knowledge of gender role stereotypes
strengthen and become rigid through early childhood, stereotypes emerge before they understand that gender can’t change. very important between 3 to 7 yrs (rigidity over
preschool years)
By age 8 to 9, children are becoming more flexible in their thinking
Puberty - magnification of sex differences; associated with increased pressure to conform to
gender roles
Is there a tendency to favour same sex activities over those normally associated with the other sex
Yes, Preference for same
- sex toys: 14 to 22 mths
- sex playmates: by age 2
Boys less likely to play with girls toys than girls. True or False
True - discouraged more by adults!
Nature vs Nurture argument
Experiment with the kids and adults, adults encourage children to play with gender stereotypical toys
Macaques - male macaques spent more time with male toys than female
Who are important influencers of gender
teachers, peers, parents & siblings
What are the biological theories on gender
genetic, hormonal (behavior and hormones predict each other), brain structure (different experiences from birth = different brain structure)
What are the positives of being gender typical?
avoid peer rejection, part of your gender identity (typicality & contentedness) leads to high self esteem
