Solitary and Collaborative Pretense Play in Early Childhood: Sources of Individual Variation in the Development of Representational Competence

Abstract

This study evaluates sources of individual variation in child pretense play as an expression of emerging mental representation. Family sociodemographic characteristics, maternal personological characteristics, and maternal affective and cognitive play behaviors, as well as children's gender, language competence, and play, were examined simultaneously. Naturalistic child solitary play and child collaborative play with mother were videorecorded in 141 20-month-olds. Child solitary play, child-initiated and mother-initiated collaborative play with mother, and maternal demonstrations and solicitations of play were then coded into nonsymbolic and symbolic acts. Zero-order relations obtained between child play and, respectively, child gender and language, family SES, and maternal verbal intelligence, personality, physical affection, and play demonstrations and solicitations. Structural equation modeling supported the following unique predictive relations: Child language and mothers' symbolic play positively influenced child collaborative play, and child gender and mothers' verbal intelligence predicted child solitary play. Child gender and mothers' verbal intelligence and physical affection influenced mothers' play and so influenced child collaborative play indirectly. The cognitive advantages of child play and maternal influences on child play are placed in an adaptive parenting framework.

Mother–Child Play: Children With Down Syndrome and Typical Development

“…Data were collected during two consecutive 10-min play sessions videorecorded continuously by a female observer. The findings of previous studies using 10-min play sessions lend credence to the validity of the temporal parameters (see Bornstein et al ., 1996), and it should be noted that play in children and parents is also robust to context between home and laboratory (Bornstein et al ., 1997). During the first session, the child played with the toy set on his or her own, while the mother filled out a questionnaire.…”

“…For their part, when in collaborative play, mothers adjust their behaviors to assist their children’s progress. So, in typical development, children’s collaborative play with mothers is normally more sustained and complex than is their solitary play (e.g., Bornstein et al ., 1996; Fiese, 1990; Slade, 1987a, 1987b; Užgiris & Raeff, 1995; Vibbert & Bornstein, 1989; Vygotsky, 1978). Despite the fact that play is integral to child development, to date specific contributions of maternal play to the play of children with intellectual disabilities have not been adequately explored.…”

“…Despite these broadly regular developmental processes, some variability characterizes play even in children of the same mental age and developmental level (e.g., Bornstein, Haynes, O’Reilly, & Painter, 1996; Tamis-LeMonda, Užgiris, & Bornstein, 2002), and one principal source of this variability derives from interactions children have with adult partners. Although cognitive abilities are requisite to play structure, motivation at and involvement in play emerge in interactive settings (Piaget, 1962; Werner & Kaplan, 1963).…”

“…Although cognitive abilities are requisite to play structure, motivation at and involvement in play emerge in interactive settings (Piaget, 1962; Werner & Kaplan, 1963). For this reason, the role of parents in the development of play in TD children is a recurrent topic in the developmental science literature (Bornstein et al ., 1996; Fiese 1990; Howes, Ungerer, & Matheson, 1992; Noll & Harding, 2003). Specifically, there is strong evidence that an adult partner’s participation in child play enhances the complexity, the duration, and the frequency of child play (Bornstein, Venuti, & Hahn, 2002; Bornstein, Haynes, O’Really, Painter, 1996; Venuti, Rossi, Spagnoletti, Famulare, Bornstein, 1997); children learn from and model the play they see (Užgiris, Benson, Kruper, & Vasek, 1989); and children conclude play scenarios that others begin (Dunn & Wooding, 1977).…”

I Look, You Smile: The First Mother–Child Communicative Interaction: A Longitudinal Study

“…Stern (1985) defines such emotional interactions as a "reflection" or "empathic correspondence" of the caregiver toward the children's expressions of affection. In general, mothers are able to pick up on the needs of the child, to adapt to them by stimulating them and considering the age and the degree of involvement in the interaction (Bornstein, Haynes, O'Reilly, & Painter, 1996;Leclère et al, 2014;Licata et al, 2014;Venuti, Gnisci, Marcone, & Senese, 2001). In this early phase, one can speak of "synchrony" when the mother is able to negotiate the relationship with behaviors focused on respecting and adjusting the other's time (Gratier, 2003;Im-Bolter, Anam, & Cohen, 2015;Jaffe, Beebe, Feldstein, Crown, Jasnow, Rochat, & Stern, 2001;Malloch, 2000;Miall & Dissanayake, 2003).…”