Sage Journals: Discover world-class research

Abstract

Second and fifth graders' playground activities during school recess were studied with a one-year follow-up. At the second time of assessment, measures were also taken of logical reasoning, interpersonal understanding, and understanding game rules. Both grade and gender differences were found in the complexity of children's activities. Generally, older children participated in more complex activities than younger children, and boys participated in more complex activities than girls. The complexity of children's activities increased over the one-year period, especially for boys. The correlates of game complexity differed for boys and girls. For boys, game complexity was negatively related to interpersonal understanding and positively related to understanding game rules. For girls, game complexity was positively related to interpersonal understanding. Results are discussed in terms of social and sex role development.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Garvey, C. (1977). Play. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press .

Gilligan, C. (1982). In a different voice. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press .

Hartup, W. W. (1983). Peer relations. In P. Mussen (Ed.), Handbook of child psychology: Vol. 4: Socialization, personality, and social development (pp. 102-196). New York: Wiley .

Kanter, R. M. (1975). Women and the structure of organizations. In M. Millman & R. M. Kanter (Eds.), Another voice: Feminist perspectives on social life and social sciences (pp. 34-74). Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday Anchor .

Ladd, G. W. (1983). Social networks of popular, average, and rejected children in school settings . Merrill-Palmer Quarterly, 29, 283-308 .

Lever, J. (1978). Sex differences in the complexity of children's play . American Sociological Review, 43, 471-482 .

Minuchin, P. P. & Shapiro, E. K. (1983). The school as a context for social development. In P. H. Mussen (Ed.), Handbook of child psychology: Vol. 4: Socialization, personality, and social development (pp. 197-274). New York: Wiley .

Piaget, J. (1962). Play, dreams, and imitation in childhood. New York: Norton .

Ravens, J. C. (1965). Guide to using the Coloured Progressive Matrices. London: Lewis .

10.

Roberts, R. J. & Patterson, C. J. (1983). Perspective taking and referential communication . Child Development, 54, 1005-1014 .

11.

Rubin, K. H. , Fein, G. , & Vandenberg, B. (1983). Play. In P. H. Mussen (Ed.), Handbook of child psychology: Vol. 4: Socialization, personality, and social development (pp. 693-774). New York: Wiley .

12.

Selman, R. L. (1980). The growth of interpersonal understanding. New York: Academic Press .

13.

Shantz, C. U. (1983). Social cognition. In P. H. Mussen (Ed.), Handbook of child psychology: Vol. 3: Cognitive development (pp. 495-555). New York: Wiley .

14.

Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher mental processes. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press .

Grade and Gender Differences In and the Stability and Correlates Of the Structural Complexity of Children's Playground Games

Abstract

Get full access to this article

References