The impact of pretend play on children's development: A review of the evidence
Abstract
Pretend play has been claimed to be crucial to children's healthy development. Here we examine evidence for this position versus 2 alternatives: Pretend play is 1 of many routes to positive developments (equifinality), and pretend play is an epiphenomenon of other factors that drive development. Evidence from several domains is considered. For language, narrative, and emotion regulation, the research conducted to date is consistent with all 3 positions but insufficient to draw conclusions. For executive function and social skills, existing research leans against the crucial causal position but is insufficient to differentiate the other 2. For reasoning, equifinality is definitely supported, ruling out a crucially causal position but still leaving open the possibility that pretend play is epiphenomenal. For problem solving, there is no compelling evidence that pretend play helps or is even a correlate. For creativity, intelligence, conservation, and theory of mind, inconsistent correlational results from sound studies and nonreplication with masked experimenters are problematic for a causal position, and some good studies favor an epiphenomenon position in which child, adult, and environment characteristics that go along with play are the true causal agents. We end by considering epiphenomenalism more deeply and discussing implications for preschool settings and further research in this domain. Our take-away message is that existing evidence does not support strong causal clai…
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Causal cognition subsumes many of the domains covered in Lillard et al.'s review.
“Upon consideration of the topics that were covered in Lillard et al.'s (2013) review, we would argue that causal cognition subsumes many of these domains.”
From Pretense and possibility—A theoretical proposal about the effects of pretend play on development: Comment on Lillard et al. (2013). (2013) · cites this paper as Lillard et al., 2013
The evidence does seem to support a causal role of pretense on development in the domain of syllogistic reasoning.
“Indeed, this domain is one in which the evidence does seem to support a causal role of pretense on development (Lillard et al., 2013).”
From Pretense and possibility—A theoretical proposal about the effects of pretend play on development: Comment on Lillard et al. (2013). (2013) · cites this paper as Lillard et al., 2013
The current state of the evidence is insufficient to draw strong conclusions regarding the nature of the relationship between pretend play and optimal development.
“It is abundantly clear from their review that the current state of the evidence is insufficient to draw strong conclusions regarding the nature of the relationship between pretend play and optimal development.”
From Pretense and possibility—A theoretical proposal about the effects of pretend play on development: Comment on Lillard et al. (2013). (2013) · cites this paper as Lillard et al., 2013
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- Authors
- Lillard, A. S., Lerner, M. D., Hopkins, E. J., Dore, R. A., Smith, E. D., & Palmquist, C. M.
- Affiliations
- University of Virginia (US)
- Venue
- Psychological Bulletin
- Published
- 2013-01
- Volume
- 139
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 1-34
- ISSN
- 0033-2909 (ISSN-L)
- 1939-1455
- OpenAlex
- W2146349261
- Cited by
- 884
- References
- 12
- Citations by year
- 2026: 63 · 2025: 78 · 2024: 49 · 2023: 72 · 2022: 87 · 2021: 67 · 2020: 101 · 2019: 64 · 2018: 76 · 2017: 60 · 2016: 58 · 2015: 41 · 2014: 38 · 2013: 29
- FWCI
- 69.56
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Psychological Bulletin (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Science Foundation (1024293)
- Brady Education Foundation
- University of Virginia
- American Psychological Foundation
- Jefferson Scholars Foundation
- American Psychological Association
- Association for Psychological Science
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Child and Animal Learning Development
- Social Sciences › Education › Early Childhood Education and Development
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Neuropsychology and Physiological Psychology › Developmental and Educational Neuropsychology
- Keywords
- pretend play, child development, equifinality, epiphenomenalism, language development, narrative development, emotion regulation, executive function, social skills, reasoning, problem solving, creativity, intelligence, conservation, theory of mind
- MeSH terms
- Child Development, Child, Preschool, Creativity, Emotions, Female, Humans, Imagination, Internal-External Control, Language Development, Male, Play and Playthings, Social Behavior, Executive Function, Theory of Mind
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