Pretend play as a protective factor for developing executive functions among children living in poverty

Thibodeau‐Nielsen, Rachel B.; Gilpin, Ansley T.; Palermo, Francisco; Nancarrow, Alexandra F.; Farrell, Carmen Brown; Turley, Danielle; DeCaro, Jason A.; Lochman, John E.; Boxmeyer, Caroline L.

doi:10.1016/j.cogdev.2020.100964

Cited by 18 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 62 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…In conclusion, the present study highlights the process by which economic hardships during the COVID-19 pandemic may hinder children's emotional well-being and self-regulation development, with caregiver stress as a key intervening mechanism. Our findings also add to the growing number of studies suggesting that pretend play can protect children from the harmful effects of adversity (e.g., Thibodeau-Nielsen et al, 2020). Although this study was conducted in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the findings are likely relevant beyond this particular global health crisis.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 51%

“…(1) Engaging in pretend play is typically a fun and enjoyable experience. As children consistently engage in pretend play, they may cultivate a positive environment that could compensate for an otherwise stressful context at home (Russ, 2007;Thibodeau-Nielsen et al, 2020). (2) Pretend play often provides opportunities for caregivers to engage in meaningful and harmonious interactions with their children.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It is worth reemphasizing that most children in our study were reported to initiate pandemic play on their own; before we can make specific recommendations about caregiver-initiated pandemic play or other interventions involving pandemic play, more research is needed to understand how, for whom, and in what contexts pandemic play benefits well-being. In the meantime, given the developmental benefits associated with pretend play in general (e.g., Thibodeau et al, 2016;White and Carlson, 2016) and its potential to be a protective factor against adversity for diverse populations of children (Yogman et al, 2018;Thibodeau-Nielsen et al, 2020), caregivers could consider creating opportunities for children to engage in pretend play. Doing so may provide a context for child-initiated pandemic play to naturally emerge among children who are ready to process pandemic-related stressors in this way.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Child Adjustment During COVID-19: The Role of Economic Hardship, Caregiver Stress, and Pandemic Play

et al. 2021

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) led to many lifestyle changes and economic hardships for families with young children. Previous research on risk and resilience highlights that children's adjustment to family hardships is influenced by caregiver stress, but individual child behaviors and characteristics may protect children from negative outcomes. Interestingly, many children have been reported to incorporate COVID-19 themes in their pretend play. Theory suggests children may do so to cope with pandemic-related stress, but no empirical studies have explored this possibility. The purpose of this study was to understand the process by which COVID-19 economic hardships experienced by a family were related to children's emotional well-being and development and to investigate how this process may vary as a function of children's engagement in pandemic-related pretend play. Caregivers (N = 99; mostly high earning families) of preschoolers ages 3–6 years (51% girls, 82% White) living in the United States participated in an online survey at two time points during the pandemic. Result revealed that COVID-19 economic hardships were related to increased caregiver stress, which, in turn, was associated with children's emotional distress and poorer self-regulation. However, engaging in pandemic-related pretend play appeared to protect children's well-being by weakening the adverse association between caregivers' stress and children's emotional distress. Thus, addressing caregiver stress levels and allowing children an outlet to cope with challenges through pretend play could have crucial protective effects on early development and well-being during times of crisis.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 51%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Child Adjustment During COVID-19: The Role of Economic Hardship, Caregiver Stress, and Pandemic Play

et al. 2021

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Children with higher levels of imaginative play have been shown to have higher executive function, emotion knowledge, language skills, and more conversations with peers [ 2 , 14 ]. In addition, pretend play is associated with inhibitory function [ 1 , 19 , 20 ] and social skills [ 5 ]. Play with dolls, compared to play with a tablet, may provide more opportunities to rehearse theory of mind and empathy skills and contribute to the development of social-emotional skills [ 21 , 22 , 23 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Impact of Working Memory on the Development of Social Play in Japanese Preschool Children: Emotion Knowledge as a Mediator

Shimizu

2023

Children

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Through enriched play, children learn social-emotional skills necessary for academic achievement and interpersonal relationships with others. Further research is needed on how specific factors associated with social play, such as working memory and emotion knowledge, interact to promote it. Previous studies have examined the association of working memory and emotion knowledge with social play. However, there are no consistent results as to which abilities influence which skills first. Thus, the present study examines the impact of working memory on the development of social play and the role of emotion knowledge in the relationship between working memory and social play. Forty-seven Japanese preschoolers were tested on working memory, social play, and emotion knowledge. Regression analysis indicated that working memory was significantly related to social play. Furthermore, mediation analysis indicated that emotion recognition mediates the effects of working memory on social play. Working memory was found to contribute to social play by improving emotion recognition in children. These results indicate that the pathway from working memory to social play is mediated by emotion recognition and expands previous perspectives on the developmental mechanisms of emotion knowledge in children.

show abstract

“…154–196). The SES-related differences in children’s cognitive development as identified in prior studies [ 24 ] may also contribute to the complexity levels of play engaged in by children from different backgrounds.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Family Socio-Economic Status and Children’s Play Behaviors: The Mediating Role of Home Environment

Sun²,

Dong³

2022

Children

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Family socio-economic status (SES) is a significant predictor of children’s early learning performance, while little is known about the relationship between family SES and children’s play. This study aimed to examine how family SES was related to different aspects of children’s play behaviors and whether the home environment served as a mediator in this relationship. A total of 844 mothers of children aged three to six (Nboys = 431) from different SES backgrounds (Nlow-SES = 123, Nmedium-SES = 322, Nhigh-SES = 399) reported the situation of the home environment and their children’s play behaviors with self-developed questionnaires. Results of regression analyses showed that family SES significantly predicted the level of Imagination, Approaches to Learning, and Emotion Expression in children’s play and that the home environment partially mediated such relationships. The results indicate SES-related differences in children’s play behaviors and offer the possibility of narrowing such discrepancies by establishing a child-friendly home environment.

show abstract

Pretend play as a protective factor for developing executive functions among children living in poverty

Cited by 18 publications

References 62 publications

Child Adjustment During COVID-19: The Role of Economic Hardship, Caregiver Stress, and Pandemic Play

Child Adjustment During COVID-19: The Role of Economic Hardship, Caregiver Stress, and Pandemic Play

The Impact of Working Memory on the Development of Social Play in Japanese Preschool Children: Emotion Knowledge as a Mediator

Family Socio-Economic Status and Children’s Play Behaviors: The Mediating Role of Home Environment

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About