Dramatic Pretend Play Games Uniquely Improve Emotional Control in Young Children

Autor/inn/en	Goldstein, Thalia R.; Lerner, Matthew D.
Titel	Dramatic Pretend Play Games Uniquely Improve Emotional Control in Young Children
Quelle	In: Developmental Science, 21 (2018) 4, (13 Seiten) PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Zusatzinformation	ORCID (Goldstein, Thalia R.)
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1467-7687
DOI	10.1111/desc.12603
Schlagwörter	Preschool Children; Drama; Play; Games; Emotional Response; Self Control; Social Development; Emotional Development; Randomized Controlled Trials; Low Income Students; Outcomes of Education; Psychological Patterns; Personality Traits; Imagination; Intervention + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Pre-school age; Preschool age; Child; Children; Pre-school education; Preschool education; Vorschulalter; Kind; Kinder; Vorschulkind; Vorschulkinder; Vorschulerziehung; Vorschule; Schauspiel; Spiel; Game; Spiele; Emotionales Verhalten; Selbstbeherrschung; Soziale Entwicklung; Gefühlsbildung; Lernleistung; Schulerfolg; Individual characteristics; Personality characteristic; Persönlichkeitsmerkmal
Abstract	Pretense is a naturally occurring, apparently universal activity for typically developing children. Yet its function and effects remain unclear. One theorized possibility is that pretense activities, such as dramatic pretend play games, are a possible causal path to improve children's emotional development. Social and emotional skills, particularly emotional control, are critically important for social development, as well as academic performance and later life success. However, the study of such approaches has been criticized for potential bias and lack of rigor, precluding the ability to make strong causal claims. We conducted a randomized, component control (dismantling) trial of dramatic pretend play games with a low-SES group of 4-year-old children (N = 97) to test whether such practice yields generalized improvements in multiple social and emotional outcomes. We found specific effects of dramatic play games only on emotional self-control. Results suggest that dramatic pretend play games involving physicalizing emotional states and traits, pretending to be animals and human characters, and engaging in pretend scenarios in a small group may improve children's emotional control. These findings have implications for the function of pretense and design of interventions to improve emotional control in typical and atypical populations. Further, they provide support for the unique role of dramatic pretend play games for young children, particularly those from low-income backgrounds. (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2020/1/01