contemporary theories of play
CONTEMPORARY THEORIES OF PLAY.
Theory
Assumptions
Limitations
Similarities
Differences
Psychoanalytic Theory.
Progression through a series of psychosexual stages.
Children could use play as means of shedding negative emotions related to events they can’t control in their lives.
Children’s involvement in play is means of gaining control over events that they cannot control in reality.
Children use play to help master events that they find traumatic or stressful.
Mastery is achieved through repetitive play.
Eriksons (1963) work focused on mastery elements of theory:
- Description of a sequence of psychological stages across the lifespan.
- Each stage characterised by a conflict that must be resolved to progress to further stages.
- Play resolved conflicts they encountered in each stage.
- Pay was a disposition which results in inventiveness.
Highlights unreal aspect of play with Freud noting “the opposite of play is not what is serious but what is real”.
Children use their wish fulfilment and they used a play context to act out their wishes, some being not acceptable in real world.
This approach is used with children who are described as having emotional problems where children act out their feelings as they play therapist communicates with them at their level.
All theories offer encouragement of children to engage in experiences that are worthwhile and interesting.
All theories provide opportunities for expression of emotions as well as for development of mastery.
Psychoanalytical and Arousal Seeking/Modulation Theory both believe in expression of emotions to deal with situations out of their control.
Play is safe content for expressing emotions and impulses not acceptable in reality.
Psychoanalytic theory predicts less need for repetitive play.
Arousal Seeking/Modulation Theory.
Derives from earlier behavioural theories focused on association between stimuli and responses.
When subject to
Theory
Assumptions
Limitations
Similarities
Differences
Psychoanalytic Theory.
Progression through a series of psychosexual stages.
Children could use play as means of shedding negative emotions related to events they can’t control in their lives.
Children’s involvement in play is means of gaining control over events that they cannot control in reality.
Children use play to help master events that they find traumatic or stressful.
Mastery is achieved through repetitive play.
Eriksons (1963) work focused on mastery elements of theory:
- Description of a sequence of psychological stages across the lifespan.
- Each stage characterised by a conflict that must be resolved to progress to further stages.
- Play resolved conflicts they encountered in each stage.
- Pay was a disposition which results in inventiveness.
Highlights unreal aspect of play with Freud noting “the opposite of play is not what is serious but what is real”.
Children use their wish fulfilment and they used a play context to act out their wishes, some being not acceptable in real world.
This approach is used with children who are described as having emotional problems where children act out their feelings as they play therapist communicates with them at their level.
All theories offer encouragement of children to engage in experiences that are worthwhile and interesting.
All theories provide opportunities for expression of emotions as well as for development of mastery.
Psychoanalytical and Arousal Seeking/Modulation Theory both believe in expression of emotions to deal with situations out of their control.
Play is safe content for expressing emotions and impulses not acceptable in reality.
Psychoanalytic theory predicts less need for repetitive play.
Arousal Seeking/Modulation Theory.
Derives from earlier behavioural theories focused on association between stimuli and responses.
When subject to
References: Dockett, S., and Fleer, M. 1999. Play and Pedagogy in Early Childhood: Bending the Rules. South Melbourne: Cengage Learning Australia.