THE EFFECTS OF PLAY MATERIALS ON SOCIAL PLAY¹

TLDR

Contingency management programs have successfully increased cooperative and social behaviors in children. The study examined whether the type of play materials influences children's social behavior. Children at an urban recreation center were systematically given toys designed for either social or isolated play. Social play occurred 78% of the time with social toys but only 16% with isolated toys, indicating that play material selection is crucial for teaching social behaviors.

Abstract

To increase cooperative and social behaviors in children, contingency management programs have been successfully employed. This study examined the possibility that children's social behavior might also be significantly influenced by the nature of the available play materials. Children in an urban recreation center were systematically provided with toys designed for social or isolate play. It was found that social play occurred only 16% of the time when the children were provided with "isolate" toys, whereas social play occurred 78% of the time when children were provided with "social" toys. Thus, the selection of play materials should be an important consideration in any effort to teach children social behaviors.