The effect of specially designed garments on the observable make- believe play behavior of four- to six-year-old females

The nonverbal messages conveyed by dress are learned earlier by today's children than they have been at any time in the past. Yet, little empirical research has examined the effect of clothing on the behavioral development of the preschool child. Dress is a medium for carrying out the serious roles of life, but it is also a medium for play. Although numerous studies have investigated play, an important element of child development, few have included dress as a factor. Research has shown that not all children participate in all forms of play behavior, particularly dramatic play, which contains the element of make-believe. Furthermore, research has shown that increased associative fluency in preschool children is dependent specifically on the occurrence of make-believe play. A child, deficient in such divergent-thinking skills, would seem somewhat disadvantaged and less able to cope with a problematic environment. The present study asks the question: Can the wearing of specially designed clothing raise levels of observable make-believe behavior for preschool children? Two research hypotheses were formulated to address this question: l) There will be a difference in player/nonplayer imaginativeness scores while wearing control and experimental garments. 2) There will be a difference in player/nonplayer imaginativeness scores while wearing Experimental Garment I or II.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph. D.

Level thesis:degree_level

doctoral

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Clothing and Textiles

Department dc:contributor.department

Clothing and Textiles

Grantor dc:publisher

Virginia Tech

Year dc:date.issued

1983

Author dc:creator

• Davis, Susan L.

Chair dc:contributor.committeechair

• Boles, Joann F.

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Zentner, Mary Ann
• Hinkle, Dennis E.
• Densmore, Barbara E.
• Sawyers, Janet K.

Statement dc:rights

• In Copyright

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Language dc:language.iso

en

Dc Identifier Other

etd-11302012-040019

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/40382