Influence of Parental Rearing on Children's Play

This paper examines the child development literature in an effort to determine the influence, if any, of parental rearing techniques and attitudes on children's play behavior. To provide context as well as a conceptual foundation for this examination, the presented review begins with a brief history and delineation of child development theory in general.

This delineation is followed by a review of current theoretical models of play. With the foregoing as foundation, the paper then examines research on how parents influence children's play behavior. The final section of the paper ties research findings into theoretical views.

According to Tomlinson-Keasey (1994), child development theory is really an umbrella term for a variety of theoretical and conceptual models attempting to explain children's physical, motor, and cognitive development over time. Although there have been numerous child development theories since the beginning of the twentieth century, Clarke-Stewart, Friedman and Koch (1991) state that current theoretical perspectives of child development have their roots in work accomplished during the 1970s and 1980s.

In this regard, the authors state that the contribution to theoretical speculation on child development in the 1970s resulted in--as a function of greater research focus on infancy--a shift in the notion of an infant as passive to the perspective of the infant as an active organism capable of initiating contac

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, structured environment, and a responsive adult involvement, extending children's proficiency and self-regulatory capacities, contribute to generally enhanced social competence. In summary then, review of current theories of play indicates that the behavior is reflective of both the social and cognitive development of children. However, it cannot be doubted that parental behavior affects all aspects of children's lives including their play behavior. In the next section of this review, studies examining the contribution of parental rearing techniques and attitudes on children's play behavior are reviewed. Parental Contribution To Children's Play Behavior What are the contribution of parental rearing techniques and attitudes to children's play behavior? Several studies have attempted to answer this question. Barclay, for example, looked for differences in the parenting behaviors of two groups of parents chosen according to their preschool child's self-reported perception of competence and social acceptance. It was predicted that the analysis would reveal significant differences in the behaviors, attitudes, and knowledge of child development of these groups of parents as well as the actual positive parent behaviors observed

Category: Psychology - I