Methodological issues in studying early pretend play

This chapter addresses definitional issues and describes the sequence of developments in early symbolic play that has been observed despite methodological variation, highlighting scoring decisions and the implications. It describes the various research paradigms, indicating the effects of various methodological decisions on research outcome. The chapter summarizes and cites new directions for the study of early pretending. Pretend play has received much attention from developmental researchers in the past decade because it reflects significant features of early post-sensorimotor functioning. Evidence is accumulating on the composition of play at various age levels and on sequential progressions across age. The paradigm can be varied in terms of toys provided and actions modeled to yield a flexible tool for studying various aspects of pretend play. A number of researchers, concerned that spontaneous play may underestimate the competencies of many children have sought to enhance pretend play by modeling or prompting various behaviors of interest.