The Ability of Children 18-36 Months to Distinguish between Pretending and Intentional Actions as Age Cognitive Development Indicator

Abstract

Child development characteristic that appears at the age of 2 years old is engaging in symbolic plays action or sequences. The study included 18 children from 18 to 24 months and 37 children 25 to 36 months, that frequent public day care centers in Tirana (capital city of Albania). The protocol is applied to participants to estimate pretend and intentional behaviors. The purpose of the study is to explore the ability of children 18 to 36 months to distinguish intentional and pretend, as indicators of their cognitive skills development and the engagement in pretend play. The study is part of a more expansive research in time and purpose. Results of the current study show the tendency of children to distinguish the usage of pretending and intentional behavioral structures in accordance with the behavioral typology. This capability is most notable in the age 24-36 months who understand the pretend action from the intentional one. In conclusion, this study aims to provide a set of recommendations for parents, care givers and education specialists who work with children of this age including pretend elements in every day practices and activities. Such practices in day care institutions have been used rarely and spontaneously. The findings tell about the importance and necessity of using symbolic/pretend play in practices and curricula of educational institutions for early childhood with the aim of enhancing quality of care and education for this age group in a society where such practices do not have a tradition of usage.

DOI: 10.5901/jesr.2014.v4n6p37