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The child-psychoanalytic play interview: a technique for studying thematic content.
S Marans1, L Mayes, D Cicchetti
1Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut.
Journal of the American Psychoanalytic Association
|January 1, 1991
Summary
This study introduces a new method to analyze children's play themes empirically. This technique helps child psychoanalysts better understand children's inner lives through play for clinical insights.
Area of Science:
- Child psychoanalysis
- Developmental psychology
- Clinical psychology
Background:
- Child psychoanalysts utilize play themes for diagnosis and therapy.
- Empirical research on children's play in clinical settings is limited.
- Play is considered a crucial window into a child's inner world.
Purpose of the Study:
- To present a novel technique for empirically studying the thematic content of children's play.
- To detail the development and application of this play analysis technique.
- To assess the reliability of the technique through interobserver agreement.
Main Methods:
- Development of a systematic technique to analyze thematic content in children's play sessions.
- Application of the technique to videotaped play sessions with child analysts.
- Four raters assessed interobserver agreement using the developed technique.
Main Results:
- The paper outlines the steps for developing the play analysis technique.
- Interobserver agreement among four raters was calculated for the technique.
- The study provides a foundation for empirical investigation of children's play.
Conclusions:
- The developed technique offers a reliable method for empirical study of children's play themes.
- This approach can enhance diagnostic and therapeutic work in child psychoanalysis.
- Further research can utilize this technique to explore children's play more deeply.