W8 Play

Question 1

What are the core features of play?

Answer 1

1. Flexibility (forms & lengths)
2. Positive affect (fun)
3. Non-literality: accidental learning (not aiming)
4. Intrinsic motivation

Question 2

What are 4 types of play (Piaget)

Answer 2

1. Functional play
2. Construction play
3. Pretend or symbolic p;ay
4. Games with rules

-> Infants play with everything the same way (7-21 months) until second year (specialised)

Question 3

What is the reason for functional play?

Answer 3

1. Playing to resolve uncertainty
   - Prefer new toy
   - But will play with old uncertain toy more to figure out how it works
2. Playing to explore the unexpected
   - Toddler play the toy to test their “hypothesis”
   - E.g. more banging on toy when knowledge violation for solidity
3. Influence of adult pedagogy
   - Naturally curious to discover new things
   - Pay attention to adult that teaches them sth new about the toy

Question 4

What is pretend/symbolic play?

Answer 4

• Pretense is complex
• The pretender intentionally projects an alternative on
  the present situation
• Requires meta-representative and linguistic skill
• It is hard to distinguish pretend play from other types of play, e.g., physical play.
• Emerges around the age of 12-15 months and peaks around 3-5 years

Question 5

Why is pedagogy a “double-edged sword?”

Question 6

What are the three focuses between pretense play and Theory of Mind?

Answer 6

1. Rich Account
2. Lean Account
3. We-intentionality account

Question 7

What is Rich account?

Answer 7

• Alan Leslie (1987)
• Being able to keep reality apart from fiction is a
  complex ability.
• Children are not ego-centric in this ability. By 18-24 months, children also “respond” to others pretend-acts.
• Example: They fill-up their empty teacups or wipe off when their pretend tea is spilled.
  –> Children have adult-like meta-representations.

Question 8

What is meant by we-intentionality? (example study)

Answer 8

• Joint pretending is acting in accordance with our “shared-intentionality”.

Example study:
Context:
- Pretend Green blocks = soap
- A puppet joins them and acts either:
1. Appropriately: pretends to wash her hands with “soap”
2. Inappropriately: pretends to eat the “soap”

Result: 2- and 3-year-olds protested the puppet when it performed the
inappropriate act.

Conclusion: Around age 2, they understand pretending as a specific form of intentional, non-serious activity.