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Reliability and validity of the McDonald Play Inventory
1Fullerton School District, Occupational Therapy Department, 2200 East Commonwealth Avenue, Fullerton, CA 92831, USA. aemcdonald3@gmail.com
Summary
The McDonald Play Inventory reliably measures children's play activities and styles. This self-report tool effectively distinguishes play differences between neurotypical children and those with learning or developmental disabilities.
Area of Science:
- Child Psychology
- Developmental Psychology
- Educational Psychology
Background:
- Play is crucial for child development, influencing cognitive, social, and emotional growth.
- Accurate assessment of play is essential for identifying developmental needs and learning differences.
- Existing play assessment tools may not fully capture the nuances of children's play experiences.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the reliability and validity of the McDonald Play Inventory for assessing play in children aged 7-11.
- To determine if the instrument can differentiate play patterns between neurotypical children and those with disabilities.
- To establish a dependable self-report measure for children's perceived play performance.
Main Methods:
- A sample of 124 children (ages 7-11) and 17 parents participated.
- The McDonald Play Inventory, a two-part self-report instrument, was administered.
- Data analysis focused on reliability (internal consistency, test-retest) and validity (content, construct).
Main Results:
- The McDonald Play Inventory demonstrated moderate reliability for internal consistency and test-retest measures.
- Evidence for content and construct validity was established.
- The instrument showed potential in discriminating between play patterns of children with and without disabilities.
Conclusions:
- The McDonald Play Inventory is a reliable and valid tool for measuring children's perceived play.
- The instrument effectively discriminates between the play of children with and without learning and developmental disabilities.
- This self-report measure offers a valuable method for assessing play performance in pediatric populations.
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