Prospective relations of preschoolers’ prosocial and aggressive affect themes in pretend play with prosocial and aggressive behaviors across contexts

Abstract

Children's ability to engage in pretend play is important for healthy development. However, relative to cognitive play features, only a handful of studies have examined the influence of affect expression in pretend play on child development. This study evaluated prospective relations of 250 preschoolers' (M age = 49.05 months, SD = 2.95; 50% fe

Assessment of Play in Preschool-Age

“…Symbolic or dramatic play, assessed independently or alongside other constructs, distinguishes itself by many assessments conducted through instruments or tasks included in the analyzed studies, with an n total = 11 (Barton, 2015; Fehr & Russ 2013, 2014; Lucisano et al, 2021; Marcelo & Yates, 2020; Saracho, 1995, 1996, 1999; Shim et al, 2001; Shire et al, 2018; So et al, 2020).…”

“…Concerning the type of play assessed in the studies, there is a prevalence of non-structured play (n = 35) (Aslan, 2020;Barton, 2015;Coolahan et al, 2000;Coplan & Rubin, 1998;Coplan et al, 2001;Esposito & Koorland, 1989;Fallon & MacCobb, 2013;Fantuzzo et al, 1995;Farmer-Dougan & Kaszuba, 1999;Farver & Lee-Shin, 2000;Gal-Szabo et al, 2019;Hart & Sheehan, 1986;Hartle, 1996;Johnson et al, 1980;Karaca et al, 2020;Kinsman & Berk, 1979;Lagacé-Séguin & d'Entremont, 2006;Lautamo et al, 2011;Leung, 2017;Lucisano et al, 2021;Marcelo & Yates, 2020;Maxwell et al, 2008;Minnett et al, 1994;Nelson et al, 2017;Pierce-Jordan & Lifter, 2005;Pollack et al, 2016;Roopnarine et al, 1992;Sanders & Harper, 1976;Saracho, 1995Saracho, , 1996Saracho, , 1999Shim et al, 2001;Shire et al, 2018;Sigafoos et al, 1999;Wintre, 1989), followed by the decreasing use of structured play (n = 3) (Park, 2019;So et al, 2020;Wilson, 2015), the use of the two types of play (n = 2) (Fehr & Russ, 2013<...…”

“…The dramatic or symbolic play comprises three types of ludic behaviors (i.e., replacement, guided by agent, imaginary) and involves the representation of an object by another. This type of play allows the child to experience distinct social roles, learn to negotiate, as well as regulate and express emotions with direct implications on interpersonal relationships (Fehr & Russ, 2014; Marcelo & Yates, 2020).…”

The Effect of Role Playing Methods on Social-emotional Development in Preschool Children

“…In role playing, children will be introduced to various instructions by doing stories or scenarios on game tools such as doll figures that include animals or objects (such as toy cars, rubber balls, and others). This role teaches children to be able to manage various forms of emotional expression, the ability to behave aggressively, and the ability to prosocial behavior (Fehr et al, 2021;Jaggy, Perren, Mainhard, et al, 2020;Korosec & Zorec, 2019;Marcelo & Yates, 2020). A study in the Netherlands applied role-playing and incorporated this method into a part of the curriculum in a daycare centre.…”

“…Dramatization carried out by children using symbolic props, such as dolls in small groups provides opportunities for children to build interactions with prosocial peers and practice social-emotional skills, one of which is conflict resolution so that children's aggressive behavior decreases (Korosec & Zorec, 2019). It is equivalent to (Jaggy, Perren, Mainhard, et al, 2020;Marcelo & Yates, 2020;Slot et al, 2017) from the results of his study that when children are instructed to play freely and makeup stories with game tools, children's prosocial behavior will develop by itself, reduce aggressive behavior, and emotional skills will naturally manifest in the interactions that take place.…”