Most research on children's play takes a context-dependent, adult-focused observational approach to the measurement of play. The current two studies present the development and psychometric properties of the Child Self-Report Playfulness (CSRP) scale, which was presented via "puppet-show" to two samples of children. Study 1, across 98…

The goal of this study was to examine longitudinal associations among unsociability and indices of socio-emotional functioning in a sample of young Chinese children. Participants were N = 360 children (M[subscript age] = 4.72 years, SD = 0.67) recruited from kindergarten classes in an urban area of China. Assessments of unsociability and…

It is argued that self-regulation skill is necessary both for displaying constructive behaviour and for controlling negative social behaviour, and self-regulation might affect social behaviours by increasing the ability to understand others' minds. In this research, in order to examine different aspects of self-regulation and their similarities…

This study examined the effects of adult imitation and adult playfulness on the imitation, social attention and initiation of new behaviours by non-verbal preschoolers with autism. Videotapes taken from a previous study were recoded for the adult's imitation and playful behaviour and the children's imitation, social attention (looking at…

This study examines the early emergence of sensory reactivity and novelty awareness and their relations to children's behaviours with peers. A total of 260 parents (242 mothers, 18 fathers) and 10 teachers of 260 children (131 male, 129 female; M?=?63?months; SD?=?8.80; range?=?39-81) participated. Structural equation models indicate that sensory…

Recent research has demonstrated that social responsiveness (comprised of social awareness, social information processing, reciprocal social communication, social motivation, and repetitive/restricted interests) is continuously distributed within the general population. In the present study, we consider temperament as a co-occurring source of…

The present study assessed the relations between basic motor abilities in kindergarten and scholastic, social, and emotional adaptation in the transition to formal schooling. Seventy-one five-year-old kindergarten children were administered a battery of standard assessments of basic motor functions. A year later, children's adjustment to school…