Observed the social behavior of 27 preschoolers in the in parent-cooperative preschools. Found that when, their parents were working in the preschool, children engaged in less high-level peer play, initiated play with peers less often and expressed more negative emotion and spent much less time in proximity to adults than when their parents were…

This book examines the developmental functions of social pretend play (SPP), asserting that SPP is salient in the formation of both social interaction skills and friendships from the toddler period into middle childhood. Part 1 discusses the mastery of the communication of meaning in SPP and presents three studies on the relationship between…