Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Affect in Play Scale-Preschool Version: Validation on a Sample of School Age Italian Children

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Journal of Child and Family Studies Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The Affect in Play Scale-Preschool version is a semi-structured measure of cognitive and affective pretend play processes using a 5 min standardized play task devised for preschool children. This study investigated an extension of the scale in a sample of 333 children, aged 6–10 years. Participants were assessed using another measure of play processes, the Affect in Play Scale, a divergent thinking task, the Alternate Uses Test, a measure of school coping, the School Coping measure, and a measure of empathy, the Index of Empathy for Children. External validity with these measures was investigated, using correlational analyses. Construct validity of the scale was assessed using a confirmatory factor analysis approach. A correlated two-factor structure with a cognitive and an affective factor demonstrated the best fit. Implications for the use of this extension to assess cognitive and affective processes in pretend play and developmental outcomes were discussed.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Achenbach, T. M. (2006). As others see us: Clinical and research implications of cross-informant correlations for psychopathology. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 15, 94–98.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bergen, D. (2002). The role of pretend play in children’s cognitive development. Washington DC: Eric Clearinghouse.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bryant, B. K. (1982). An index of empathy for children and adolescents. Child Development, 53, 413–425.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bryant, B. K. (1987). Mental health, temperament, family and friends: perspectives on children’s empathy and social perspective taking. In N. Eisenberg & J. Strayer (Eds.), Empathy and its development. New York: Cambridge University Press.

  • Chessa, D., Di Riso, D., Delvecchio, E., Salcuni, S., & Lis, A. (2011). The Affect in Play Scale: Confirmatory factor analysis in elementary school children. Psychological Reports, 109, 759–774.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Chessa, D., Lis, A., Di Riso, D., Delvecchio, E., Mazzeschi, C., Russ, S. W., & Dillon, J. (2012). A cross-cultural comparison of pretend play in U.S. and Italian children. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 44(4), 640–656.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chorpita, B. F., & Daleiden, E. L. (2002). Tripartite dimensions of emotion in a child clinical sample: Measurement strategies and implications for clinical utility. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 70, 1150–1160.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Christiano, B. A., & Russ, W. S. (1996). Play as a predictor of coping and distress in children during an invasive dental procedure. Journal of Child Clinical Psychology, 25, 130–138.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cicchetti, D. V. (1994). Guidelines, criteria, and rules of thumb for evaluating normed and standardized assessment instruments in psychology. Psychological Assessment, 6, 284–290.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cohen, D., & Strayer, J. (1996). Empathy in conduct-disordered and comparison youth. Developmental Psychology, 32, 988–998.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cohen, J. W. (1988). Statistical power analysis for the behavioral sciences. 2nd edn. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cordiano, T. J., Russ, S. W., & Short, E. J. (2008). Development and validation of the affect in play scale – brief rating version. Journal of Personality Assessment, 90(1), 52–60.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • D’Angelo, L. (1995). Child’s play: The relationship between the use of play and adjustment styles (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from Pro Quest Dissertations and Theses database. (UMI No. 9604636).

  • Dansky, J. (1980). Make-believe: A mediator of the relationship between play and associative fluency. Child Development, 51, 576–579.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Delvecchio, E., Mabilia, D., Li, J-B., & Di Riso, D. (2015). Pretend play in Italian children: Validation of the affect in play scale-preschool version. Journal of Child and Family Studies. doi: 10.1007/s10826.

  • deWied, M., Branje, S. J., & Meeus, W. H. (2007). Empathy and conflict resolution in friendship relations among adolescents. Aggressive Behavior, 33, 48–55.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Eisenberg, N., McCreath, H., & Ahn, R. (1988). Vicarious emotional responsiveness and prosocial behavior: Their interrelations in young children. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 14, 298–311.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fehr, K., & Russ, S. (2013). Aggression in pretend play and aggressive behavior in the classroom. Early Education and Development, 24, 332–345.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fehr, K., & Russ, S. (2014). Assessment of pretend play in preschool-aged children: Validation and factor analysis of the Affect in Play Scale-Preschool versions. Journal of Personality Assessment, 96, 350–357). doi:10.1080/00223891.2013.838171.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fein, G. (1987). Pretend play: Creativity and consciousness. In P. Gorlitz & J. Wohlwill (Eds.), Curiosity, imagination, and play (pp. 281–304). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.

  • Fiorelli, J., & Russ, S. (2012). Pretend play, coping, and subjective well-being in children: A follow-up study. American Journal of Play, 5(1), 81–103.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gitlin-Weiner, K., Sandgrund, A., & Schaefer, C. (2000). Family play assessments. In K. Gitlin-Weiner, A. Sandrund, & C. Schaefer (Eds). Play diagnosis and assessment. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

  • Hastings, P. D., Zahn-Waxler, C., Robinson, J., Usher, B., & Bridges, D. (2000). The development of concern for others in children with behavior problems. Developmental Psychology 36, 531–546.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hoffmann, J., & Russ, S. (2012). Pretend play, creativity, and emotion regulation. Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts, 6, 175–184.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hoffmann, J., & Russ, S. (2016). Fostering pretend play skills and creativity in elementary school girls: A group play intervention. Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts, 10(1), 114–125). doi:10.1037/aca0000039.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hollingshead, A. A. (1975). Four-factor index of social status. New Haven, CT: Yale University. Unpublished manuscript.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hughes, A. A., & Kendall, P. C. (2009). Psychometric properties of the positive and negative affect scale for children (PANAS-C) in children with anxiety disorders. Child Psychiatry and Human Development, 40(3), 343–352). doi:10.1007/s10578-009-0130-4.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Jacques, H. A., & Mash, E. J. (2004). A test of the tripartite model of anxiety and depression in elementary and high school boys and girls. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 32(1), 13–25.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kaugars, A. (2011). Assessment of pretend play. In S. Russ & L. Niec (Eds.), Play in clinical practice: Evidence-based approaches (pp. 51–82). New York: Guilford.

  • Kaugars, A., & Russ, S. (2009). Assessing preschool children’s play: Preliminary validation of the Affect in Play Scale-preschool version. Early Education and Development, 20(5), 733–755.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kazdin, A.E. (2005). Parent management training: Treatment for oppositional, aggressive, and antisocial behavior in children and adolescents. New York: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kogan, N. (1983). Stylistic variation in childhood and adolescence: Creativity, metaphor, and cognitive styles. In P. Mussen (Ed.), Handbook of child psychology, Vol. 3 (pp. 631–706). New York: Wiley.

  • Laurent, J., Catanzaro, S., Joiner, T., Rudolph, K., Potter, K., Lambert, S., Osborne, L., & Gathright, T. (1999). A measure of positive and negative affect for children: Scale development and preliminary validation. Psychological Assessment 11, 326–338.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Marcelo, A. K., & Yates, T.M. (2014). Prospective relations among preschoolers’ play, coping and adjustment as moderated by stressful events. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 35, 223–233.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mash, E. J., & Hunsley, J. (2005). Evidence-based assessment of child and adolescent disorders: Issues and challenges. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 34, 362–379.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mazzeschi, C., Salcuni, S., Di Riso, D., Lis, A., & Bonucci, S. (2008). The APS and APS-P: A methodological comparison between Italian preschool and school-aged children. Imagination, Cognition and Personality, 28, 49–67.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Niec, L. (1998). Relationships among affect and interpersonal themes in children’s fantasy and interpersonal functioning (Master’s thesis). Retrieved from Pro Quest Dissertations and Theses database. (UMI No. 9833902).

  • Niec, L., & Russ, S.W. (2002). Children’s internal representations, empathy, and fantasy play: A validity study of the SCORS-Q. Psychological Assessment, 14, 331–338.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Pearson, B., Russ, S., & Spannagel, S. (2008). Pretend play and positive psychology: Natural companions. Journal of Positive Psychology, 3, 110–119.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pellegrini, A. D. (2010). The Oxford handbook of the development of play. New York: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rubin, K., Fein, G., & Vandenberg, B. (1983). Play. In P. Mussen (Ed.), Handbook of child psychology (Vol. 4, pp. 693–774). New York: Wiley.

  • Runco, M. A. (1991). Divergent thinking. Norwood, NJ: Ablex.

    Google Scholar 

  • Russ, S. (1987). Assessment of cognitive affective interaction in children: Creativity, fantasy, and play research. In J. Butcher & C. Spielberger (Eds.), Advances in personality assessment (Vol. 6, pp. 141–155). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

  • Russ, S. (1993). Affect and creativity: The role of affect and play in the creative process. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Russ, S. (2004). Play in child development and psychotherapy: Toward empirically supported practice. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

    Google Scholar 

  • Russ, S. W. (2012). Creativity and play. In M. Runco (Ed.), The Creativity research handbook (pp. 103-132). New York: Hampton Press.

  • Russ, S. W., & Grossman-McKee, A. (1990). Affective expression in children’s fantasy play, primary process thinking on the Rorschach and divergent thinking. Journal of Personality Assessment, 54, 756–771.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Russ, S. W., & Niec, L. N. (2012). Play in clinical practice: Evidence-based approaches. New York, NY: Guilford press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Russ, S. W., Min, M. O., Singer, L. T., Minnes, S. L., & Sacha, T. J. (2005). Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the Affect in Play Scale: Cognitive and Affective Processes. Poster session presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development, Atlanta, GA.

  • Russ, S. W., Robins, A. L., & Christiano, B. A. (1999). Pretend play: Longitudinal prediction of creativity and affect in fantasy in children. Creativity Research Journal, 12, 129–139.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Russ, S., & Schafer, E. (2006). Affect in fantasy play, emotion in memories, and divergent thinking. Creativity Research Journal, 18, 347–354.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Seja, A. L., & Russ, S. W. (1999). Development of the Preschool Affect in Play Scale. Paper presented at the meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development, Albuquerque, NM.

  • Singer, D. G., & Singer, J.L. (1990). The House Of Make-Believe: Children’s Play and the Developing Imagination. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Singer, D. G., Golinkoff, R. M., & Hirsh-Pasek, K. (2006). Play=Learning: How Play Motivates and Enhances Children’s Cognitive and Social-Emotional Growth. New York: Oxford. University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Stagnitti, K. (2004). Understanding play: The implications for play assessment. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, 51, 3–12.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stagnitti, K., van Herwerden, L., Sanigorski, A., Wolfe, A., & Kenna, R. (2007). Structured Play Program: A Program for Early Childhood Settings in the City of Greater Geelong. Retrieved from http://www.karenstagnitti.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Structured-Active-Play-Book.pdf

  • Strayer, J., & Roberts, W. (1997). Facial and verbal measures of children’s emotions and empathy. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 20, 627–649.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Strayer, J. (1987). Affective and cognitive perspectives on empathy. In N. Eisenberg & J. Strayer (Eds.), Empathy and its development (pp. 218-244). New York: Cambridge University Press.

  • Udwin, O. (1983). Imaginative play training as an intervention method with institutionalized preschool children. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 53, 32–39.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • van de Schoot, R., Lugtig, P., & Hox., J. (2012). A checklist for testing measurement invariance. European Journal of Developmental Psychology, 9, 486–492.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wallach, M., & Kogan, N. (1965). Modes of thinking in young children: A study of the creativity-intelligence distinction. New York: Holt, Reinhart & Winston.

    Google Scholar 

  • Watson, D., Clark, L. A., & Tellegen, A. (1988). Development and validation of brief measures of positive and negative affect: The PANAS scales. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 54(6), 1063–1070.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Philosophy, Social Sciences and Education, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy

    Elisa Delvecchio & Claudia Mazzeschi

  2. Department of Developmental Psychology and Socialization, University of Padova, Padova, Italy

    Daniela di Riso, Jian-Bin Li & Adriana Lis

Authors
  1. Elisa Delvecchio
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Daniela di Riso
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Jian-Bin Li
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Adriana Lis
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Claudia Mazzeschi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Elisa Delvecchio.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Informed consent

Informed written consent was obtained from all parents’ participants included in the study. Oral consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Delvecchio, E., di Riso, D., Li, JB. et al. Affect in Play Scale-Preschool Version: Validation on a Sample of School Age Italian Children. J Child Fam Stud 25, 3523–3536 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-016-0504-8

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-016-0504-8

Keywords

Search

Navigation