The Relationship between Symbolic Play and Executive Function in Young Children

Kelly, Rachel; Dissanayake, Cheryl; Ihsen, Elfriede; Hammond, Sabine

doi:10.1177/183693911103600204

Cited by 71 publications

(43 citation statements)

References 44 publications

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“…The results revealed there is indeed a robust, positive correlation between EF and the ability to manage dual representations in pretense. These findings held for relatively cool conflict measures of EF, as suggested by previous smaller studies (Albertson & Shore, 2009; Kelly & Hammond, 2011), but there was also new evidence for a relation between pretend actions and performance on relatively hot, delay-of-gratification measures. The results were reciprocal when we examined both EF—Pretense and Pretense EF—regressions.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 80%

“…Children’s ability to later recall both the real and pretend identities of an object significantly correlated with scores on a set of three conflict EF tasks. Finally, after controlling for mental age, Kelly and Hammond (2011) found a relation between structured pretend play and a version of the Day/Night inhibitory control task among preschoolers. Although these studies reveal a link between pretense and self-regulation, they were limited by several factors, such as small sample sizes for correlational analyses and few behavioral measures of EF and control variables.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 85%

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Evidence for a relation between executive function and pretense representation in preschool children

Carlson

White

Davis-Unger

2014

Cognitive Development

135

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Several theoretical formulations suggest a relation between children’s pretense and executive function (EF) skills. However, there is little empirical evidence for a correlation between these constructs in early development. Preschool children (N = 104; M age = 4-0) were given batteries of EF and pretense representation measures, as well as verbal, memory, and appearance-reality control tasks. Confirmatory factor analysis revealed two separable but overlapping aspects of EF (Conflict and Delay). EF was significantly related to pretense after accounting for all controls. Understanding the pretend-reality distinction was strongly related to Conflict EF, whereas performing pretend actions was more strongly related to Delay EF. These results, although correlational, are consistent with the claim that EF skills are implicated in pretense, such as inhibiting reality and flexibly manipulating dual representations, and offer a potential mechanism by which pretend play interventions may enhance childhood EF.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 80%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 85%

Evidence for a relation between executive function and pretense representation in preschool children

Carlson

White

Davis-Unger

2014

Cognitive Development

135

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“…Three other studies found a relationship to laboratory tests of knowledge about pretend play (Albertson & Shore, 2009;Carlson, White, & Davis-Unger, 2012;Kelly, Hammond, Dissanayake, & Ihsen, 2011); however, the knowledge tests themselves appear to require EF. What would be most telling is if engaging in pretend play were itself related to EF.…”

Section: Executive Functionmentioning

confidence: 89%

The impact of pretend play on children's development: A review of the evidence.

Lillard¹,

Lerner²,

Hopkins³

et al. 2013

Psychological Bulletin

627

473

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Pretend play has been claimed to be crucial to children's healthy development. Here we examine evidence for this position versus 2 alternatives: Pretend play is 1 of many routes to positive developments (equifinality), and pretend play is an epiphenomenon of other factors that drive development. Evidence from several domains is considered. For language, narrative, and emotion regulation, the research conducted to date is consistent with all 3 positions but insufficient to draw conclusions. For executive function and social skills, existing research leans against the crucial causal position but is insufficient to differentiate the other 2. For reasoning, equifinality is definitely supported, ruling out a crucially causal position but still leaving open the possibility that pretend play is epiphenomenal. For problem solving, there is no compelling evidence that pretend play helps or is even a correlate. For creativity, intelligence, conservation, and theory of mind, inconsistent correlational results from sound studies and nonreplication with masked experimenters are problematic for a causal position, and some good studies favor an epiphenomenon position in which child, adult, and environment characteristics that go along with play are the true causal agents. We end by considering epiphenomenalism more deeply and discussing implications for preschool settings and further research in this domain. Our take-away message is that existing evidence does not support strong causal claims about the unique importance of pretend play for development and that much more and better research is essential for clarifying its possible role.

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“…Moreover, although the studies reviewed above provide suggestive evidence on the relations between the complexity of pretend play and displayed cognitive and emotional self‐regulation behavior, none of the studies included measures of children's cool and hot executive functions as control variables. Therefore, the previously observed relationships may, at least partly, be caused by involvement of executive functions in both play behavior (Carlson et al, ; Kelly & Hammond, ) and self‐regulation (e.g., Bryce et al, ; Denham, Warren‐Khot, et al, ). In this study, relations between complexity of pretend play and both cognitive and emotional self‐regulation are investigated, while controlling for children's cool and hot executive functions.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Preschoolers' cognitive and emotional self‐regulation in pretend play: Relations with executive functions and quality of play

Slot

Mulder

Verhagen

et al. 2017

Infant and Child Development

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The preschool period is marked by rapid growth of children's self‐regulation and related executive functions. Self‐regulation is considered an important aspect of school readiness and is related to academic and social–emotional outcomes in childhood. Pretend play, as part of the early childhood curriculum, is hypothesized to support self‐regulation. An important question concerns whether self‐regulation should be considered an individual ability or, partly, a situated skill that is influenced by aspects of the classroom context. The aims of this study were to investigate the degree to which 3‐year‐olds showed cognitive and emotional self‐regulation in a naturalistic play setting and to examine how test‐based measures of children's cool and hot executive functions and the quality of their pretend play contributed to this observed self‐regulation. The results indicated that 3‐year‐olds showed aspects of cognitive and emotional self‐regulation. Cool executive functions appeared significantly related to emotional self‐regulation, whereas hot executive functions were not significantly related to cognitive or emotional self‐regulation. The quality of pretend play was strongly associated with cognitive self‐regulation and, to a lesser extent, emotional self‐regulation. The findings of this study suggest that both preschoolers' cool executive functions and the quality of play contributed to their self‐regulation skills in naturalistic settings. Highlights Preschoolers' cognitive and emotional self‐regulation in a naturalistic play setting are two interrelated but separate constructs. Children's cognitive executive functions predict observed emotional self‐regulation during pretend play. The quality of pretend play is strongly associated with children's cognitive self‐regulation and, to a lesser extent, emotional self‐regulation.

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The Relationship between Symbolic Play and Executive Function in Young Children

Cited by 71 publications

References 44 publications

Evidence for a relation between executive function and pretense representation in preschool children

Evidence for a relation between executive function and pretense representation in preschool children

The impact of pretend play on children's development: A review of the evidence.

Preschoolers' cognitive and emotional self‐regulation in pretend play: Relations with executive functions and quality of play

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