The Role of Play in Human Development
Abstract
While the subject of play may seem trivial for behavioral science, E. O. Wilson noted that understanding the significance of play is an important challenge facing scholars in these fields. Play is observed among juveniles across a number of animal species and is especially prevalent in young mammals, yet it is difficult to define or to attribute functional significance to it. This book argues that play is an excellent example of the ways in which biology and culture influence each other, especially during childhood. Specifically, the innovative possibilities associated with different forms of play behavior during the juvenile period can influence individuals' skill acquisition, and possibly influence the development of the species. In order to understand play in this broad sense, it is necessary to understand its phylogenetic development (across monkeys, great apes, and humans), its place within human development, and its function(s) and antecedents. Such an understanding of the role of play in childhood has implications for a deeper understanding of the role of development in the human experience. This book takes an explicitly theoretical orientation as it is applied to human play, in an evolutionary context. This volume provides a theoretical framework addressing the role of play in development. In the concluding chapter, the author synthesizes his arguments and theory, and speculates about directions for future research in the area.
Cite this
Anthony D. Pellegrini (2009). The Role of Play in Human Development. Oxford University Press eBooks. https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195367324.001.0001
@book{d2009the,
title = {The Role of Play in Human Development},
author = {Pellegrini, Anthony D.},
year = {2009},
publisher = {Oxford University Press eBooks},
doi = {10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195367324.001.0001}
}Citations in this library
Stored only when both papers are in the corpus — 357 citations exist upstream.