Ruminations Regarding Characteristics of Quintessential Adult Communicative Play

Greene and Pruim's (2023) theory of adult communicative play (TACP) was developed as an effort to address considerations of: (a) pattern and novelty, (b) interpersonal connection, and (c) enjoyment as they pertain to adult conversational activities by recourse to a parsimonious, integrated conceptual framework. Central to their treatment is the notion of quintessential (or "ideal") play, referring to occasions characterized by: (a) receptivity and absorption in the conversation; (b) comprehension and understanding; (c) connection and mutuality; and (d) a sense of discovery and insight. This conception of "ideal play" is viewed as the endpoint of a continuum along which efforts at play may be understood to be successively less and less mutually enjoyable as one moves away from the "ideal" endpoint. The primary aim here is to further refine and clarify the nature of quintessential play. In particular, "ideal" play is posited to: (1) unfold over multiple, mutual conversational entries, (2) be relatively rare and fleeting, (3) be enacted in pursuit of the enjoyment derived from the communicative event itself, (4) involve mutual, improvisational contributions to the interaction, and (5) be both the product and source of enhanced communication skills.