Follow-up of a Pretend Play Intervention: Effects on Play, Creativity, and Emotional Processes in Children

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of a pretend play intervention on 45 first and second grade children 2–8 months post-intervention. It was hypothesized that pretend play would be improved in the intervention groups and that they would score higher than controls on measures of play, creativity, and emotional processes. Subjects were randomly assigned to an affect, imagination, or control group. The imagination group significantly increased on multiple play scores from baseline to follow up and compared with controls, scores on frequency of positive affect expression were significantly higher. Differences on other scores were not found. Results indicate that play skills can be improved and cognitive play skills may have a stronger impact on affective processes than anticipated.

We acknowledge the contributions of Beth Pearson, PhD, for participating in the intervention delivery and Dennis Drotar and the pediatric psychology writer's workshop at Case Western Reserve University for their helpful comments.

Notes

^# p ≤ 0.1. ∗p ≤ 0.05. ∗∗p ≤ 0.01. ∗∗∗p ≤ 0.005.