Doll Play Enhances Essential Social Skills, Even in Solo Play
A recent study reveals that children can develop crucial social skills like empathy, sharing, and friendship even while playing alone, provided they have dolls to engage with. Unlike electronic devices, which don’t foster the same interpersonal skills, dolls offer a unique opportunity for young ones to practice social interactions.
Commissioned by a well-known doll brand, researchers from Cardiff University investigated children’s brain activity while they played with dolls versus tablets. Their findings indicated that children aged 4 to 8 activated brain regions linked to empathy when playing with dolls, regardless of whether they played alone or with others. In contrast, playing on a tablet triggered this brain activity only during social interactions.
Additionally, the study assessed how children expressed their thoughts and feelings, termed ‘internal state language.’ It was found that children articulated their emotions more while playing with dolls compared to when they were engaged with tablets. Dr. Emily Carter, a senior lecturer and neuroscientist involved in the study, noted, “Children discuss the emotions and thoughts of others while playing with dolls—even when they are by themselves. However, this language usage decreases significantly with tablet play.”
The research highlights that while children naturally use empathy more during social play, they still connect with these emotional skills when engaging with dolls alone. “This suggests that children perceive dolls as social companions,” Dr. Carter emphasized. Although dolls may not be educational in the traditional sense, this study indicates that they are instrumental in helping children develop vital social skills that might not be nurtured through electronic play.
The implications of the study suggest that for parents, encouraging doll play could have significant benefits for their children’s social development. Importantly, the findings apply to all children, regardless of gender, showing that imaginative play with dolls can be enriching for everyone.
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Summary:
A study reveals that playing with dolls enhances children’s social skills like empathy and emotional expression even when done alone. This contrasts with tablet play, which does not foster the same level of interpersonal development. The findings suggest that parents should encourage doll play for their children’s social growth, applicable to all kids.