The Effect of Pretend Play on Children's Social Competence: An Intervention Study in Early Childhood Education

Abstract

Within cultural-historical activity theory, pretend play is considered crucial for the development of young children's social competence. However, the existing empirical evidence does not support such strong causal claims. Given the importance of social competence for children's development, the current study aimed to contribute to a better understanding of the potential effect of pretend play on social competence. It examined the effect of pretend play on social competence through a controlled intervention study with an 8-week social pretend play intervention in early childhood education. The sample consisted of N = 333 preschoolers aged 3–7 years from 15 schools. Schools were randomly assigned to either the intervention (n = 165 children) or the control condition (n = 168 children). Both before and after the 8-week period, children were individually tested on social cognitive skills and observed to administer their social-emotional behavior during pretend play (i.e., positive/productive and regulated/prosocial behavior). Findings revealed no significant effect of pretend play on either children's social cognitive skills or social-emotional behavior during pretend play. Future research is needed to clarify the potential role of pretend play for social competence development.