Subtypes of Nonsocial Play and Psychosocial Adjustment in Malaysian Preschool Children

Abstract

This study examined subtypes of nonsocial play and their relation to psychosocial adjustment in Malaysian preschool children (N = 141, 72 boys, M age = 4.65 years). Confirmatory factor analyses revealed that a three-factor model that distinguished social reticence, solitary-active play, and solitary-passive play fit the data reasonably well, and also fit the data better than the alternative one-and two-factor models. The distinction among the three subtypes of nonsocial play was found for both boys and girls. Controlling for children's age, gender, and parents' education, social reticence was related to teachers' ratings of anxious behavior, unsociability, and peer exclusion. Solitary-active play was associated with parents' ratings of inattentiveness, child difficultness, and teachers' ratings of hyperactivity-distractibility. Solitary-passive play was related to teachers' ratings of unsociability. The findings provide support for a multidimensional view of nonsocial play in Malaysian children.s ode_630 1..19

Conceptualization and Assessment of Multiple Forms of Social Withdrawal in Turkey

“…There is a growing interest in understanding the correlates of withdrawn behaviors across cultures (Chen, 2010). However, researchers have only just begun to explore possible differences in the meaning and implications of different subtypes of social withdrawal in non-Western cultures, including India (Bowker & Raja, 2011), China (Liu et al, 2014;Nelson, Hart, Yang, Wu, & Jin, 2012;Xu, Farver, Chang, Zhang, & Yu, 2007), Korea and Australia (Kim, Rapee, Oh, & Moon, 2008), and Malaysia (Choo, Xu, & Haron, 2012). Moreover, the conceptualization of different forms of social withdrawal needs to be reconsidered within different cultural contexts.…”

Naturalistic Observations of Schoolyard Social Participation

“…In early and middle childhood, there appear to be important differences in the meaning and implication of different subtypes of observed nonsocial behaviors (Coplan & Ooi, 2014). For example, whereas reticent behavior (i.e., watching other children play but not joining in, remaining unoccupied) appears to be a marker variable for shyness and anxiety (e.g., Coplan et al, 2008; Coplan, Prakash, O’Neil, & Armer, 2004; Henderson, Marshall, Fox, & Rubin, 2004), solitary-active play (i.e., repetitive sensorimotor actions, solitary dramatizing) appears to reflect social immaturity, impulsivity, and externalizing difficulties (Coplan et al, 2001; Coplan, Rubin, Fox, Calkins, & Stewart, 1994; Choo, Xu, & Haron, 2012; Evans, Nelson, & Porter, 2012; Rubin & Mills, 1988). In contrast, solitary-passive play (i.e., quiescent constructive and exploratory activities while playing alone) appears to be a comparatively benign form of nonsocial behaviors, and it has generally not been associated with indices of socio-emotional difficulties in early and middle childhood (Bar-Haim & Bart, 2006; Coplan, 2000; Coplan et al, 1994; Doctoroff, Greer, & Arnold, 2006; Lloyd & Howe, 2003; Nelson, Hart, & Evans, 2008; Rubin, 1982).…”

The Importance Of Play

“…Malaysia (Choo, Xu and Haron, 2011) and Puerto Rico (Trawick-Smith, 2010), and modern, urbanised, technologically advanced cultures, such as Italy (Bornstein, Venuti and Hahn, 2002). Several studies have compared play across cultures or sub-cultures, in relation to cultural attitudes and practices.…”