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Play and Development

Evolutionary, Sociocultural, and Functional Perspectives

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Series: Jean Piaget Symposia Series.

Children's play is a universal human activity, and one that serves a significant purpose in personal development.

Throughout this volume, which is an extension of the 33rd Annual Meeting of the Jean Piaget Society, the editors and contributors explore assumptions about play and its status as a unique and universal activity in humans.

As a whole, Play and Development delves into three lines of research concerning this topic: examining these assumptions from an ethological perspective, exploring the view of research that shows play to be socially and culturally constructed, and looking at varied applications of play in the different contexts of childhood.

Topics covered in this volume include:

  • evolutionary foundations and functions of play
  • children's play as cultural interpretation
  • the use of imagination in children's play
  • the imaginary companions created by children and adults

This volume will be of interest to scholars and researchers in the fields of developmental psychology and cognitive development, and will be sought out by active researchers and practitioners in the field.

Table of Contents

Contents: Preface. Part I: Introduction. A. Göncü, S. Gaskins, An Integrative Perspective on Play and Development. Part II: Biological/Ethological Perspectives of Play and Development. P.K. Smith, Evolutionary Foundations and Functions of Play: An Overview. R.W. Mitchell, Pretense in Animals: The Continuing Relevance of Children's Pretense. A.D. Pellegrini, The Development and Function of Rough-and-Tumble Play in Childhood and Adolescence: A Sexual Selection Theory Perspective. Part III: Social/Cultural Perspectives of Play and Development. M.H. Bornstein, On the Significance of Social Relationships in the Development of Children's Earliest Symbolic Play: An Ecological Perspective. A. Lillard, Guided Participation: How Mothers Structure and Children Understand Pretend Play. A. Göncü, J. Jain, U. Tuermer, Children's Play as Cultural Interpretation. S. Gaskins, W. Haight, D.F. Lancy, The Cultural Construction of Play. Part IV: Applied Perspectives of Play and Development. P.L. Harris, Hard Work for the Imagination. M. Taylor, A.M. Mannering, Of Hobbes and Harvey: The Imaginary Companions Created By Children and Adults. A. Nicolopoulou, The Interplay of Play and Narrative in Children's Development: Theoretical Reflections and Concrete Examples. C.D. Clark, Therapeutic Advantages of Play.