Play, Nonsocial, and Social-Emotional Development in Childhood

Nonsocial Play in Childhood

It is now widely accepted that children who consistently engage in solitary behavior while in the presence of peers during the early and middle childhood years may be “at risk” for later social and emotional problems in adolescence and adulthood, including school dropout, delinquency, aggression, depression, low self-esteem, and loneliness (Rubin, Bukowski, & Parker, 1998). While the terms behavioral solitude, social withdrawal, and nonsocial play have been used interchangeably, recent research has revealed the importance of identifying qualitatively different types of nonsocial behavior. It is now clear that nonsocial play is a complex and multidimensional construct, and recent advances in the study of social withdrawal have produced a literature suggesting that different expressional forms of solitude carry with them different psychological meanings.

The Multiple Forms and “Meanings” of Nonsocial Play Behaviors

Researchers have distinguished among three main clusters of solitary behaviors that children may engage in: solitary-passive, solitary-active, and reticent behaviors.

Solitary-Passive Behavior

Solitary-passive behavior is characterized by quiet exploration of objects and/or constructive activity (the building or creating of something, such as building blocks or drawing) while playing alone. Thus, these children are usually playing apart from the other children or with their backs to other children, with toys that are different from those the other children are using (Rubin, 1982).

In early childhood, solitary-passive behavior is associated positively with (a) indices of emotion regulation, (b) competent problem solving while alone [Page 843]or in cooperative tasks with peers, and (c) peer acceptance. In addition, such behavior is reinforced positively by teachers and parents as well as peers, probably because it leads to order in the class and closely approximates the kinds of behavior generally occurring in elementary school classrooms. Preschool children who frequently engage in solitary-passive play (e.g., doing puzzles or artwork, building blocks, or reading) appear to be object oriented rather than people oriented. These children excel at object-oriented tasks, are more task persistent, and have a higher attention span. On the other hand, they perform poorly during people-oriented social tasks (e.g., “show and tell” during small group time) (e.g., Rubin, Coplan, Fox, & Calkins, 1995). However, generally, solitary-passive play among preschoolers is not associated with indices of maladaptation.

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