02 The relationship between different components of role play and executive function development at preschool age

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to examine the relationship between the main components of role play, according to Vygotsky (object substitution, idea of play, play interaction), and executive functions (working memory, inhibition, cognitive flexibility, planning) in preschool age. The study involved 56 children, 5 to 6 years old (29 boys and 27 girls). Play observation was conducted in small groups of two to three children in a playroom in kindergarten with special multifunctional “open” materials. The results revealed significant relationships between planning and the role-play components associated with the stability and level of the play idea, object and space substitution, and the organizing interaction in play. Comparison of the play components in children with low and high levels of executive function showed that children with a high level had higher positional substitution, detalization of idea (the extent to which a child reveals their idea to partners) in play, and a higher general play level than children with low executive function levels. Thus, the study shows that high levels of executive function are related with high levels of play, and this makes play an effective tool for the development of executive functions.