The effects of fantastical pretend-play on the development of executive functions: An intervention study

Journal of Experimental Child Psychology
Rachel B ThibodeauBrooke A Meyer

Abstract

Although recent correlational studies have found a relationship between fantasy orientation (FO; i.e., a child's propensity to play in a fantastical realm) and higher order cognitive skills called executive functions (EFs), no work has addressed the causality and directionality of this relationship. The current study experimentally examined the directionality of the observed relationship between FO and EF development in preschool-aged children through an innovative play intervention employing a randomized controlled design. A sample of 110 children between the ages of 3 and 5years were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: fantastical pretend-play intervention, non-imaginative play intervention, or business-as-usual control. Results revealed that children who participated in a 5-week fantastical pretend-play intervention showed improvements in EFs, whereas children in the other two conditions did not. Within the fantastical pretend-play condition, children who were highly engaged in the play and those who were highly fantastical demonstrated the greatest gains in EFs. These data provide evidence for the equifinal relationship between fantasy-oriented play and EF development, such that engaging in fantasy-oriented play m...Continue Reading

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Citations

Sep 16, 2017·Developmental Science·Thalia R Goldstein, Matthew D Lerner
Jun 14, 2019·Comprehensive Child and Adolescent Nursing·Lita Heni KusumawardaniPoppy Fitriyani
May 5, 2020·The American Journal of Occupational Therapy : Official Publication of the American Occupational Therapy Association·Gloria Frolek Clark, Karrie L Kingsley
Aug 18, 2018·Frontiers in Psychology·Jennifer M ZoshDavid Whitebread
Nov 3, 2020·Frontiers in Human Neuroscience·Salim HashmiSarah A Gerson
Mar 9, 2021·Journal of Experimental Child Psychology·Rachel E White, Stephanie M Carlson
Aug 21, 2021·Trends in Neuroscience and Education·Taku KosokabeYusuke Moriguchi
Jul 2, 2021·Developmental Psychobiology·Tracy R GleasonDarcia Narvaez
Sep 7, 2021·Frontiers in Psychology·Rachel B Thibodeau-NielsenShannon Dier
Oct 22, 2019··Erik D. van der SpekTengjia Zuo

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