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Embracing complexity: rethinking the relation between play and learning: comment on Lillard et al. (2013)
Deena Skolnick Weisberg1, Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, Roberta Michnick Golinkoff
1Department of Psychology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122, USA.
Psychological Bulletin
|January 9, 2013
Summary
Pretend play
Area of Science:
- Child Development
- Educational Psychology
Background:
- The causal link between pretend play and child development outcomes is debated.
- Concerns exist regarding a "play ethos" potentially biasing research findings towards positive effects.
Purpose of the Study:
- To critique the analysis by Lillard et al. (2013) regarding pretend play and child outcomes.
- To advocate for a more holistic and methodologically advanced approach to studying play and learning.
Main Methods:
- Critique of existing literature and analytical approaches.
- Proposal for future research methodologies.
Main Results:
- Positive effects of pretend play on learning are evident across diverse methodologies and conditions.
- Existing criticisms of individual studies may overlook the cumulative evidence.
Conclusions:
- A holistic examination of evidence supports the benefits of pretend play for learning.
- Future research should employ complex statistical models to capture the nuances of playful learning.
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