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This uniquely integrative volume brings together leading experts in developmental psychology and animal behavior to provide a new perspective on the nature and functions of play. In an introductory chapter, distinguished ethologist Patrick Bateson describes how youthful exploration and games contribute to both individual development and group survival--not only in humans, but in other species as well. Parallel chapters then examine social play, object play, and pretend play in humans and great apes, providing a broader context for understanding why human children behave the way they do. While much of the knowledge on human play comes from industrialized Western societies, the book also features important chapters on hunter-gatherer and pastoral cultures. Throughout, a rich array of black-and-white photographs and other illustrations enliven this authoritative work.

Tabla de contenidos provista por Syndetics

• I Background and Theory
• 1 Play in Great Apes and Humans
• 2 The Role of Play in the Evolution of Great Apes and Humans
• II Social Play
• 3 Social Play in the Great Apes
• 4 Rough-and-Tumble Play in Humans
• III Object Play
• 5 Object Play in Great Apes: Studies in Nature and Captivity
• 6 Boys' and Girls' Uses of Objects for Exploration, Play, and Tools in Early Childhood Anthony D. Pellegrini Pellegrini, Anthony D.
• IV Fantasy
• 7 Fantasy Play in Apes
• 8 Social and Pretend Play in Children Peter K. Smith V. Hunter-Gatherers Hunter-Gatherers, Peter K. Smith V.
• 9 Play in Hunter-Gatherer Society
• 10 Farming, Foraging, and Children's Play in the Okavango Delta
• VI Conclusion
• 11 Play in Great Apes and Humans: Reflections on Continuities and Discontinuities

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CHOICE Review

Researchers and scholars agree that play performs important functions for developing individuals and for societies, but they disagree on what those functions are--and there is little reliable research that can be used to resolve conflicting views. Pellegrini (Univ. of Minnesota) and Smith (Univ. of London) have responded to this conundrum by gathering contributions from developmental psychologists, primatologists, zoologists, and anthropologists that deal with three areas of play: social play, object play, and fantasy. The editors devote a section to each, and each section includes a chapter about humans and another about apes. Another section includes a pair of chapters on play in societies that subsist on hunting, gathering, and horticulture. Although the book provides no definitive answers about the functions of play, it does alert the reader to problems in past attempts to explain the behavior. In addition it focuses on questions that must be addressed by those wishing to sharpen conceptualization and understanding of the varied ways in which play occurs among humans and apes. Well-written introductory and concluding chapters put the detailed information presented here in context, and each chapter has an extensive bibliography that will serve those interested in pursuing study of this subject. ^BSumming Up: Recommended. Graduate and research collections. S. I. Perloe Haverford College

Notas de autor provistas por Syndetics

Anthony D. Pellegrini, PhD, is Professor of Psychological Foundations of Education in the Department of Educational Psychology at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. His primary interest is in the development of play and dominance. He also has research interests in methodological issues in the general area of human development, with specific interest in direct observations. His research has been funded by the National Institutes of Health, the Spencer Foundation, and the W. T. Grant Foundation. Dr. Pellegrini is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association and has been awarded a Fellowship from the British Psychological Society.

Peter K. Smith, PhD, is Professor of Psychology and Head of the Unit for School and Family Studies at Goldsmiths College, University of London. His research interests are in social development, play, bullying in school, and evolutionary theory. Dr. Smith is coauthor of Understanding Children's Development and coeditor of The Nature of School Bullying and the Blackwell Handbook of Childhood Social Development . He has written widely on children's play, particularly on pretend play training and rough-and-tumble play. Dr. Smith is also a Fellow of the British Psychological Society.