Parents have long suspected that doll play positively affects children's development. Now those suspicions have become scientific evidence. Barbie®, together with a team of neurobiologists from Cardiff University, confirm that play helps children develop empathy and social skills that can turn into lifelong habits.
A team of neurobiologists from Cardiff University spent several years studying the short- and long-term effects of doll play on children's development. For this purpose, they used state-of-the-art near-infrared spectroscopy equipment. They compared the reactions occurring in children's brains during doll play and tablet play—both alone and with others. The researchers also examined the importance of what children say during play. The conclusions are surprising.
Play—I speak about others, I learn about myself
In the first studies*, researchers examined children's brain activity during doll play. The research showed that the posterior part of the superior temporal sulcus (pSTS), the brain area responsible for processing social information, including empathy, is more active during solo doll play than during solo tablet play.
In the next stage of research**, the focus was on what children say during play. It turns out that when children play with dolls, they more often talk about others' thoughts and emotions. As a result, they practice social skills that they can use during interactions in the real world.
- When children create imaginary stories and play with dolls, they communicate out loud, and only then process the messages they have spoken about thoughts and emotions. By acting out scenes with dolls and predicting their behavior, they better understand what others feel and learn how they can react in specific situations - explained Dr. Sarah Gerson, who leads the team of scientists from Cardiff University.
Regardless of whether children play with dolls in a group or alone, they imitate scenes and interactions from everyday life. They copy what parents, teachers, or peers say and do every day, and through play they have the chance to rehearse skills that will be useful to them in real social situations. It is worth adding that the research results apply equally to girls and boys.
Skills essential for the future
Doll play is learning empathy, one's own emotions, and appropriate reactions, which are key skills for children, especially at preschool and early school age, and form the foundation for further learning.
Such behaviors increase the pace of children's social and emotional development and shape social skills that can turn into lifelong habits. They are truly important, especially in the context of making or maintaining friendships with peers, as well as learning from their teachers and parents - explained Dr. Gerson.
More information for parents and caregivers about the research can be found on the website: Barbie - ZabawaMaMoc
