Patterns on the playground: Children's flexible use of movement types as an indicator of social cognition.

摘要

This research examines how children's patterns of movement use during socio-dramatic play are indicative of social skills. Six five-year-old girls' social skills were measured by teacher assessment and their movement patterns on the playground were coded and analyzed. The results show that high-level social skills are associated with a broad and balanced use of the following movement types: leading, following, initiating, imitating and elaborating. Children with low-level social skills rely heavily on physical contact. The findings contribute to literature on social cognition by demonstrating that children's flexible physical attunement is associated with more sophisticated social interaction. The research illustrates how aspects of children's social cognition are expressed through physical interaction, a concept reflective of dynamic systems theory. Thus, this research contributes to a fuller understanding of the integration of physical, cognitive and socio-emotional development in children.