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Children Learn From Both Embodied and Passive Pretense: A Replication and Extension.
Brittany N Thompson1, Thalia R Goldstein1
1George Mason University.
Child Development
|September 22, 2019
Summary
Children learn effectively through pretend play, whether passively observing or actively embodying characters. Embodiment enhances learning retention for older preschoolers, suggesting its importance for complex material acquisition.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Development
- Early Childhood Education
- Play-Based Learning
Background:
- Pretense facilitates learning in children, but prior studies often cast them as passive observers.
- Active participation in pretend play may enhance learning outcomes.
- The role of embodiment in pretend play learning requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if children learn equally well from passive observation versus active embodiment in pretend play.
- To examine the role of partial (puppets) and full (costumes) embodiment in learning via pretense.
- To assess the retention of learned information across different levels of embodiment over time.
Main Methods:
- A preregistered study involving 144 children aged 24-79 months.
- Three conditions: passive observation, partial embodiment (puppets), and full embodiment (costumes).
- Learning and 2-week retention were assessed across conditions, including a control group.
Main Results:
- Children learned equally well from all three play scenarios (observation, partial, and full embodiment).
- All play conditions led to better learning than the control condition.
- Older preschoolers showed equal retention across embodiment conditions, unlike younger preschoolers.
Conclusions:
- Active embodiment in pretend play does not impede learning and is comparable to passive observation.
- Embodiment may play a crucial role in long-term learning retention, particularly for older children.
- Future research should explore embodiment's impact on learning more complex information in early childhood.
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