Infants At Play: Play Categories and Levels PDF

Infants at Play : Play Categories and Levels Explain how play in infancy is indicative of cognitive abilities Describe categories and levels of play Learning Outcomes Discuss the differences in play with adults compared to same – aged playmates Describe the functions of play Why do we care about inf...

Infants at Play : Play Categories and Levels Explain how play in infancy is indicative of cognitive abilities Describe categories and levels of play Learning Outcomes Discuss the differences in play with adults compared to same – aged playmates Describe the functions of play Why do we care about infants’ play behaviour? Exploration: an early form of object play in which infants manipulate one object at a time and then move on to manipulate the parts of objects or juxtaposing objects to explore how they fit together or relate Symbolic play: A more advanced type of play relative to exploration that typically emerges around the beginning of the second year of life. Children are no longer bound by the obvious characteristics of objects but use objects alone, in combinations, and in sequences to pretend about absent events or past experiences. Changes to Pretend Play Self-directed → other-directed Observed properties → imagined properties Active themes→ emotional themes Exploratory Play Unitary functional activity: production of an effect that is unique to a single object Inappropriate combinational activity: juxtaposition of two or more objects that naturally do not go together Exploratory Play Appropriate combinatorial activity: Juxtaposition of two or more objects that naturally go together Transitional Play: Approximate pretense but without confirmatory evidence Symbolic Play Symbolic Play Intrapsychological and Mastery Functions of Play Intrapsychological Mastery Cognitive Social Functions of Play Cultural Intrapsychological Functions of Play Infants express and mediate arousal that is dependent on caregiver interaction Joint attention engagement related to self-soothing strategies when frustrated Play reinforces and expands range of emotion Intrapsychological Functions of Play Infants positive emotional exchanges and peers (smile, vocalize, touch) 17 months – 3 years → smile more with siblings and older infants than with mom -Why? Siblings provide Mastery Functions of Play Parents influence infants’ attention to both social and non-social stimuli Maternal encouragement of orientation and exploration predicts exploration at 5 months Stimulation and responsiveness at 6 months predicts persistence during problem solving at 13 month Mothers responsive to infants at 13 and 21 months → maximizes attentiveness and interest in playing Vygotsky → play is formative and shaped through social interactions with others Mastery Functions of Play Peers better suited for unstructured play – for sustained attention Unstructured play last longer with peers Maintain mutual interest and excitement in joint activities Preschool years - longer episodes of unstructured pretend play with peers compared to pretend play with mothers - Why? Cognitive, Social, and Cultural Functions of Play Cognitive Functions of Play The Acquisition of Information and Skills Mother-child play → teaching function Mother symbolic play → infant symbolic play Mother’s response to infant play is equal or just above level of infant acts Siblings and peers do not teach but do model Cognitive Functions of Play Divergent Thinking and Creativity Bruner: Out-of the box type play promotes a flexible mindset Play linked to innovativeness, flexible problem-solving, divergent thinking Peers and sibling encourage creativity and divergent thinking – more than play with mothers This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC Cognitive Functions of Play Representation Representation: simulation of real-world Symbolic play Supported by adults Mothers’ play sophistication related to variation in pretense ability Siblings initially control play – by 2 -3 years they support symbolic play This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA-NC Cognitive Functions of Play This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND Language Development Mother-child play facilitates complex language use Mother’s language during play associated with language development Fathers responsiveness and supportiveness predicts positive outcomes Social Functions of Play Role play Communicative reciprocity Mother-Infant Interactions This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA Cultural Functions of Play Conveys principles and values Determines play partners Conveys value of play Japanese families Communicate collectivist values Promote play with themselves and otherdirected play Infants engage in more other-directed pretense American families Communicate individualistic values Promote play with objects/concrete play More communication during play Infants have advanced receptive vocabularies Cultural Functions of Play Play continues to promote t ra n s m i s s i o n o f c u l t u ra l r o l e s , routines, and conventions b e y o n d t h e 2 n d y e a r. Mothers provide dolls and prompts for instruction on modeling behaviour Mothers engage in nurturing and household themes when playing with daughters Older siblings and peers model social roles and conventions During the first year of life infant play is characterized by basic manipulation of objects as an exploratory activity In the second year of life play becomes increasingly symbolic, representational, and generative Intrapsychological, mastery, cognitive, social, and cultural functions of play are supported by adult caregivers Summary By about age 2 -3 peers take on a greater role in play than caregivers and siblings Adult responsiveness and support during play contributes to play development Adults use play to teach object mastery, pragmatics of communication, and cultural expectations Mother-child play stimulates language development, and self-efficacy Play with mothers and fathers contributes to development Summary Older siblings play an important role in promoting symbolic play in their younger simplings The nature of play and functions and partners in play changes with development