Pretend Play with Peers: International Perspectives on Links Between Social Pretend Play and Social-emotional Competences

Session Type: Paper Symposium

Abstract

This symposium brings together research conducted in China, Switzerland, and the UK, to investigate the role of pretend play in children’s social and emotional development. The studies take a fresh perspective in this field of inquiry through their use of rigorous observational and statistical methodology, and an emphasis on understanding the social dynamics at work when children play pretend.
The first paper, conducted with Chinese boarding school children, found that children expressed more emotions during pretend play when they, and their play partner, reported lower willingness to show emotions. The authors conclude that pretend play is important for self-expression in contexts where emotional display may be discouraged. The second paper reports a randomised intervention study conducted in a Swiss playgroup and shows that tailored tutoring in pretend play skills can lead to an increase in peer relationship competence. The paper includes a nuanced, statistically-informed appraisal of the issues of disentangling the effects of increased pretence from increased social interaction with adults. The final paper, based on a sample of 4-5-year-olds from the UK, found unexpected results in that higher levels of pretend play enactments were associated with lower levels of theory of mind and language abilities, for both individual children and their play partners.
Together, these findings challenge the simplistic hypothesis that increased pretend play is positively linked to improved social and emotional development. Discussions will focus on the importance of understanding the influence of social, cultural and developmental context on the dynamic links between pretend play and social-emotional competence.

Sub Unit

• Social Relationships

Chair

• Jenny Gibson, University of Cambridge

Discussant

• Paul Harris, Harvard University

Individual Presentations

• Associations Between Observed Peer Pretend Play and Children’s Self-reported Emotional Experience and Expression - Presenting Author: Zhen Rao, University of Cambridge; Non-Presenting Author: Jenny Gibson, University of Cambridge

• Understanding Mechanisms Underpinning Positive Impact of Pretend Play Tutoring on Social Behavior and Peer Relationships - Presenting Author: Sonja Perren, University of Konstanz and Thurgau University of Teacher Education; Non-Presenting Author: Ann-Kathrin Jaggy, University of Konstanz; Non-Presenting Author: Isabelle Kalkusch, University of Konstanz/ Thurgau University of Education; Non-Presenting Author: Carine Burkhardt Bossi, Thurgau University of Teacher Education; Non-Presenting Author: Barbara Weiss, Pädagogische Hochschule Thurgau; Non-Presenting Author: Fabio Sticca, Marie Meierhofer Institut für das Kind

• Better Theory of Mind is Associated with Fewer Enactments of Pretence by 4-5-year-old Play Partners - Presenting Author: Elian Fink, University of Cambridge; Non-Presenting Author: Jenny Gibson, University of Cambridge