7 
Recent studies have shown that contrary to expectation, larger-brained species within mammalian orders are not more likely to engage in play. This is true for juvenile rodents, juvenile marsupials and adult primates. Neither does the relative size of the neocortex predict the prevalence of play in species of marsupials and primates. Two methodological limitations may […]
7 
play fighting in many animals consists of a complex choreography of somewhat stereotypical behaviors involving attack and defenseótypically of particular body areasóthat are differentially generated under specific conditions. In most domains where behavior is considered, including the study of social play, the prevailing explanatory theories rest on the assumptions that: (1) behavior is the result […]
7 
Based on an interdisciplinary perspective, we discuss how primary-process, anoetic forms of consciousness emerge into higher forms of awareness such as knowledge-based episodic knowing and self-aware forms of higher-order consciousness like autonoetic awareness. Anoetic consciousness is defined as the rudimentary state of affective, homeostatic, and sensory-perceptual mental experiences. It can be considered as the autonomic […]
6 
As astutely noted by the authors of this provocative article, it is time for evolutionary psychology (EP) to be incorporated into clinical and educational interventions. However, two issues from this article are raised in the current commentary: some historical misconceptions of the evolutionary label and a lack of clear and specific guidelines for developing or […]
6 
In this quick guide, Gordon Burghardt considers the criteria for ascribing a particular animal behavior as “play “, and in particular the evidence for play in fishes, frogs and reptiles. © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
6 
Many comparative studies have focused on the emergence of solitary and social play in early development, however, few consider observer and parallel forms of play. In this study, we analyzed approximately 21 h of video recordings and revealed a significant difference between the frequency of solitary, observer, parallel, and social object play states, in calf, […]
6 
Background: This study sought to explore mothers’ and fathers’ perceptions of the risks and benefits of screen time and active play during early childhood. Methods: In-depth semi structured telephone interviews were conducted with mothers and fathers (n = 28) of children aged 3-5 years who had earlier taken part in a larger quantitative study in […]
6 
As cross-disorder risk gene, CACNA1C is implicated in the etiology of all major neuropsychiatric disorders characterized by deficits in social behavior and communication and there is evidence for sex-dependent influences of single-nucleotide polymorphisms within CACNA1C on diagnosis, course, and recovery in humans. In this study, we aimed, therefore, at further exploring the role of Cacna1c […]
6 
Synthetic ethology is proposed as a means of conducting controlled experiments investigating the mechanisms and evolution of communication. After a discussion of the goals and methods of synthetic ethology, two series of experiments are described based on at least 5000 breeding cycles. The first demonstrates the evolution of cooperative communication in a population of simple […]
6 
In adolescent rats, 50-kHz vocalizations are most evident during tickling and rough-and-tumble play. The following experiments evaluated whether 50-kHz vocalizations reflect positive social affect by determining (1) if tickling is a rewarding event, (2) if social or isolate housing conditions differentially influence the response (since housing condition has been found to effect the reward magnitude […]
6 
We evaluated the effects of group activity schedules on social engagement among children with autism spectrum disorders. Although activity schedules are often applied to dyads, we assigned children to small groups (e.g., 3-4 children) to increase the number of available play partners and potential social validity of the intervention. We also compared the effects of […]
6 
The focus of this article is children’s self-organisation of peer-groups through play. The play was initiated by encounters with the environment. The use of ethnographic methods in early childhood research has proved helpful to elucidate, interpret, and understand children’s experiences and the creation of meaning in their everyday lives. This inquiry draws on field notes, […]
6 
What is the nature of comparative psychology and how does or should it relate to evolutionary psychology? This is a time of reassessment of both fields and this article reviews the history of comparative psychology and its relationships with evolutionary psychology, ethology, and other approaches to behavior from the perspective of a former editor of […]
6 Few interventions exist for school-aged minimally verbal children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Even though play skills are associated with children’s production of language, few studies have focused on play for minimally verbal children. Fifty-eight minimally verbal children with ASD received a naturalistic developmental behavioral intervention. Children were randomized to receive a speech generating device […]
6 
A challenge for social-affective neuroscience programs is to identify simple and yet valid animal models for studying the expression of basic social emotions and their role during different developmental windows, from infancy to adulthood. For example, although laboratory rats are useful for studying juvenile social interactions, they are not ideal for studying infant attachment bonds. […]
6 
This article explores the relationship between toddlers’ (age: 30-33 months) well-being (WB), play (PL), social-emotional competence (SC) and movement skills (MS). Two hypotheses were put forward for testing: (1) there is a significant positive correlation between WB, PL, SC and MS, and (2) toddlers’ WB can be predicted from their PL, SC and MS. The […]
6 
The purpose of this article was to systematically review the play therapy literature examining the effectiveness of child-centered play therapy with the autism spectrum disorder (ASD) population. Child-centered play therapy is shown to be an evidencebased, effective intervention for children; however, a systematic review of childcentered play therapy as an intervention with the ASD population […]
6 
This ethnographic study describes how an in-depth preschool learning pathway developed around children’s investigations into a contemporary artist. It found that learning with Yayoi Kusama’s art favoured habits of exploration, reflection, revisitation and development of ideas, and enriched children’s visual awareness, inclusive artlearning conversations and their learning in mathematics, literacy and visual art. It argues […]
6 
Introduction: Reaching preschool-aged children to establish healthy lifestyle habits, including physical activity, is an important component of obesity prevention efforts. However, few studies have examined family child care homes where nearly 1 million children receive care. Study design: A pre- and post-intervention evaluation without a control group was conducted to evaluate what changes occurred in […]
6 
The cortex is not necessary for rats to engage in play fighting, but it is necessary for them to modify their pattern of play fighting in different contexts. Two experiments were conducted to determine the role of the motor cortex (MC). Rats with bilateral ablations of the MC performed on Postnatal Day 10 failed to […]
Join our newsletter to stay up to date on the latest in play.
NIFPlay and Dr. Stuart Brown have been featured in these media outlets (and more!)
The Institute wants the world to know:
A) Playing, being playful, is the healthiest way to spend your time (after feeding and housing yourself).
B) The activities that evoke playful feelings are unique to each of us.
© Copyright 2007-2025. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy. Cookie Policy.
National Institute for Play is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, public benefit corporation.
