This article is based on a study of the role of play and experiential-learning activities beyond formal schooling in sixteen nations. The study, supported by Unilever PLC, gathered information from the mothers of twenty-four hundred children in countries in North America, South America, Africa, Europe, and Asia who described and rated their…

Combining a scientific and a humanistic approach in a series of essays that draw on both clinical and literary data, this book examines how imaginative play begins and how it develops. From the infant's first smiles and peekaboo games to the toddler's exploration of objects and participation in symbolic and social pretend play, the book traces the…

Two studies investigated the role that parental attitudes and behavior play in filtering the complexity of the world into manageable forms for children. Cognitive and behavioral patterns used as dependent variables were cognition (reading scores, language use, general information, beliefs, reality-fantasy discrimination); imagination;…

As part of a larger 1-year examination of the relationship between television viewing patterns and spontaneous play in nursery school, this study focuses on (1) the correlation between children's television viewing patterns in the home and their level of aggression in nursery school, and (2) specific factors within family settings that might…

This study examined the ways in which the spontaneous imaginative play and other social behaviors of 3- and 4-year-old children are affected by the frequency and patterns of their television viewing. The subjects were 141 children from predominantly white middle class homes. Pretesting was done to get an estimate of IQ (Peabody Picture Vocabulary…

This study examined the patterns of ongoing play manifested over a year's time by 141 three- and four-year-old boys and girls at nursery schools and daycare centers. The relationships between such play and concurrent language usage and the child's patterns of television viewing at home were examined during this period. Parents of the children were…

This research study examined ways in which exposure to a children's television show (Misterogers' Neighborhood) would enhance the spontaneous imaginative play of children after several weeks. The project, which is detailed extensively elsewhere, involved a comparison of three groups of preschool children in a day care center who either: (1)…

The present study was designed to explore the possibility that exposure to the "Misterogers' Neighborhood" program might increase the likelihood of spontaneous imaginative play in preschool children who watched the program over a period of two weeks. The specific focus of this investigation was to determine whether a well-produced…

This study represents part of an extended research program designed to explore the various parameters of imaginative play in children and their relationship to the later development of daydreaming and various cognitive skills or personality characteristics. The specific focus of this investigation was on role of adult intervention represented…

Examines some of the ways television may influence the imagination, motor activity, and aggressiveness of preschool and early school-aged children. Proposes a model in which a number of family and personal variables influence the growing child's response to television, and reports the results of several empirical studies that investigated family…

A study of family patterns and their relationship to television-viewing and children's development clearly indicate the combined influences of parental styles and television on emerging cognitive and behavioral tendencies. Television-viewing, although potentially positive with limited use and appropriate programing, generally predicts negative…

Discusses problems posed by television violence; how behavioral and social scientists became interested in television violence and its effects on children; how psychologists study relationships between television violence and behavior; how television violence can be counteracted by television industry, parents, and educators; and results from the…

Suggests ways in which the schools and universities can confront the psychological and social impact of television on children. (Author/IRT)

A 2-year project was undertaken to develop, test, and distribute a video-based program to train low-income parents in engaging their 3- to 5-year-old children in highly motivating play techniques in order to enhance children's cognitive, social and motor skills for school readiness. An evaluation was conducted of the Year One phase of the training…

Examines effects of the structure and content of television on children's cognitive, motor, and affective development, and discusses relationships between family life style and television viewing. Suggests that current television programs can have harmful effects on children, and presents proposals for interventions to expose children to more…