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Bukhalenkova D.A., Gavrilova M.N., Airapetyan Z.V., Semenov Yu.I., Tarasova K.S. (2020). Relation between play preferences at home and self-regulation in preschool children. National Psychological Journal, [Natsional’nyy psikhologicheskiy zhurnal], (13)2, 99-108.

Abstract

Background. Nowadays, the research of playing activity in the home environment is insufficient. Meanwhile, theoretical and empirical analysis has shown the importance of the play in the development of executive functions, and the results obtained in the study can be used as practical recommendations for preschool specialists and parents of senior preschool age children.

The Objective is to study the relationship between the components of executive functions and children preferences in the play and its duration at home.

Design. Children aged 5-6 years (N=163, 52% of males) and their mothers participated in the study. In the first stage, the development of the following components of executive functions in preschool children was assessed: inhibition, verbal and visual working memory and cognitive flexibility. Information on children's play preferences at home were obtained as a result of parents filling in a specialized questionnaire, which contained questions about the duration of play and its content.

Results. Analysis of play preferences revealed that the majority of preschool children in our sample have favorite toys (85%): males prefer games in constructing materials and transport, while females prefer puzzles and sets for creativity, as well as play with soft toys and dolls, and also pretending ‘family’ members games. It was found that girls successfully coped with tasks on cognitive flexibility, inhibition and verbal working memory than boys. The most preferable type of games for senior preschoolers are board games and active games, and also construction sets. Children who prefer constructing materials and transport were less successful at cognitive flexibility task than children who don't play construction games. Children who prefer soft toys and sets of figures perform a lower level of spatial working memory than children who prefer other kinds of games. Children who prefer to play board games have a higher level of inhibition. Children whose favorite character often changes were more successful in inhibition task than children who have one steady favourite character. 

Conclusion. The study showed that board games, puzzles, and playing with different subjects and pretending various characters have the most developing potential for older preschoolers. No differences in game duration depending on the level of development of executive functions were found. 

Received: 05/15/2020
Accepted: 05/30/2020
Pages: 99-108
DOI: 10.11621/npj.2020.0209

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Keywords: preschool age; play; executive functions; inhibition; working memory; cognitive flexibility

Available Online 06.10.2020

Table 1.Mean of executive functions indicators in preschool children

Parameters

Sample

Males 

Females

М

SD

М

SD

М

SD

DCCS. Sorting by color

5.90

0.68

5.81

0.94

6.00

0.00

DCCS. Sorting by shape

5.37

1.39

5.17

1.62

5.60

1.06

DCCS. Sorting with borders

7.59

2.37

7.25

2.19

7.95

2.50

DCCS. Total score

18.87

2.83

18.23

2.74

19.54

2.77

Naming. Uncorrected mistakes

0.82

1.77

1.10

2.10

0.52

1.27

Naming. Corrected mistakes

1.00

1.15

1.16

1.34

0.83

0.89

Naming. Time

46.79

13.37

48.23

14.95

45.25

11.32

Inhibition. Uncorrected mistakes

3.24

6.00

4.19

7.36

2.21

3.84

Inhibition. Corrected mistakes

2.16

1.80

2.51

1.81

1.79

1.73

Inhibition. Time

61.53

15.18

60.98

15.38

62.12

15.05

Visual working memory. Contents

37.77

5.72

37.06

5.94

38.51

5.42

Visual working memory. Spatial

18.75

4.49

18.96

4.27

18.52

4.72

Visual working memory. Bonus

18.90

12.76

19.13

12.47

18.65

13.13

Visual working memory. Total score

75.41

21.03

75.15

20.94

75.68

21.26

Verbal working memory. Total score

18.90

4.80

18.19

5.08

19.65

4.39

Table 2. Distribution of mothers' answers to the question about toys preferred by their children

Answers

Sample

(n=161)

Males(n=82)

Females

(n=79)

Significance level

Building set

104

65

38

£0.001

Puzzles

65

27

38

0.050

Dolls 

59

1

57

£0.001

Soft toys  

53

10

43

£0.001

Mosaics and creativity kits 

55

17

38

£0.001

Cars and other vehicles

84

70

13

£0.001

Sets of figures (soldiers. zoo animals. etc.)

52

24

52

0.609

Table 3. Distribution of mothers' answers to the question about games preferred by their children

Answers

Sample

(n=159)

Males  (n=82)

Females

(n=77)

Significance level

Board games

82

44

38

0.587

Active & sport games

78

45

33

0.130

Computer games, game consoles

27

19

8

0.032

Designing using building kits and construction sets

76

48

28

0.005

Pretend play using book, film, cartoon characters 

49

20

29

0.070

Playing various professionals

48

20

28

0.100

Playing as ‘family’ members

44

8

36

£0.001

Playing ‘war’ games

10

10

0

£0.001

Table 4. Differences in performing "Inhibition" method by children who play and do not play board games 

Board Games

Do not play

(n=77)

Do play

(n=80)

Significance level

М

SD

М

SD

Naming. Corrected mistakes

1.22

1.24

0.82

1.03

0.028

Naming. Time

49.21

15.23

44.53

11.06

0.052

Inhibition. Time

66.23

18.25

57.83

11.75

0.004

Table 5. Differences in children performing "Inhibition" method depending on the answer to the question: “Does the child have a favorite character?”

The child has a favorite character

(n=61)

The child does not have a favorite character

(n=21)

Favorite characters often change (n=76)

Significance level

M

SD

M

SD

M

SD

Naming. Uncorrected mistakes

1.36

2.42

0.38

0.97

0.53

1.14

0.008

Inhibition. Corrected mistakes

2.77

1.87

2.57

1.72

1.54

1.58

£0.001

Inhibition. Timing

64.49

15.40

64.05

16.54

58.57

14.20

0.057

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For citing this article:

Bukhalenkova D.A., Gavrilova M.N., Airapetyan Z.V., Semenov Yu.I., Tarasova K.S. (2020). Relation between play preferences at home and self-regulation in preschool children. National Psychological Journal, [Natsional’nyy psikhologicheskiy zhurnal], (13)2, 99-108.