Pretend play is not an ‘extra’: Exploring the relation between parent-reported pretend play and executive functions in the toddlerhood period

IF 1.9 3区心理学 Q3 PSYCHOLOGY, DEVELOPMENTAL

Cognitive Development Pub Date : 2026-07-01 Epub Date: 2026-07-31 DOI:10.1016/j.cogdev.2026.101759

Joanna Kelly, Tobias Constien, Michelle Downes

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Abstract

Empirical evidence and theoretical accounts increasingly highlight the role of pretend play in fostering the development of executive function skills in childhood. Yet, previous research has predominantly been focused on pre-school- and primary-school-aged children, even though both pretend play and executive functioning have a developmental onset much earlier in development. To address this gap within the existing evidence base, the current report aimed to explore this association in the toddlerhood period using a multi-method approach. In an initial consultation, insights from mothers of toddlers were obtained via a World Café approach. Secondly, a parent-reported online study, including 213 toddlers (M = 25.47 months, SD = 5.33) identified a quantitative estimate of the concurrent relation between parent-reported indices of pretend play and executive functions in toddlerhood. After controlling for demographic variables, a significant association between toddlers’ pretend play ability and cognitive executive functioning skills was identified. However, no relation was found between toddlers’ pretend play ability and regulatory executive function skills. Findings from across studies are discussed in relation to previous theoretical accounts on the role of pretend play in development.

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假装游戏不是“额外的”：探索父母报告的假装游戏与幼儿期执行功能之间的关系

经验证据和理论解释越来越强调假装游戏在促进儿童执行功能技能发展中的作用。然而，之前的研究主要集中在学龄前和小学学龄儿童身上，尽管假装游戏和执行功能在发育过程中都有更早的发展。为了解决现有证据基础中的这一差距，本报告旨在利用多方法方法探索幼儿期的这种关联。在最初的咨询中，通过世界咖啡馆的方法获得了幼儿母亲的见解。其次，对213名幼儿（M = 25.47个月，SD = 5.33）进行了一项家长报告的在线研究，对父母报告的假装游戏指数与幼儿执行功能之间的并行关系进行了定量估计。在控制人口变量后，幼儿的假装游戏能力和认知执行功能技能之间存在显著关联。然而，幼儿的假装游戏能力与调节执行功能技能之间没有关系。从不同的研究结果讨论了与先前的理论帐户在发展中扮演的角色。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Cognitive Development Multiple-

CiteScore

3.20

自引率

5.60%

发文量

114

期刊介绍： Cognitive Development contains the very best empirical and theoretical work on the development of perception, memory, language, concepts, thinking, problem solving, metacognition, and social cognition. Criteria for acceptance of articles will be: significance of the work to issues of current interest, substance of the argument, and clarity of expression. For purposes of publication in Cognitive Development, moral and social development will be considered part of cognitive development when they are related to the development of knowledge or thought processes.