The Effects of Play on Mathematical Concept Formation

S ummary . The aim of the study was to assess the effects of a previous play experience on a test of concept formation involving base four arithmetic. Twenty‐four children from 10 to 12 years of age were divided into three groups of eight subjects each, matched on teachers' ratings of mathematical ability. A concept formation task was given as an initial measure of ability. Members of group one were permitted total autonomy as to which buttons they pressed on a specially designed toy whose operation embodied base four rules; members of group two were yoked to members of group one so that they observed the same sequence of information; members of group three had no experience with the toy. Each subject was then administered a further concept formation task which involved the same rules existing in the ‘toy.’ The results showed that group one gained a greater insight into the task and remembered the information more effectively in the short‐term. Suggestions for further research are made

Autonomy · Cognitive psychology · Developmental psychology · Embodied cognition · Group (periodic table) · Task (project management) · Test (biology) · Artificial Intelligence · Chemistry · Cognitive and developmental aspects of mathematical skills · Computer Science · Education Methods and Practices · Engineering · Mathematics Education and Teaching Techniques · Psychology · Social Psychology

• The Effects of Encapsulation on Preschool Children's Imaginative Play

  Lynn A Barnett, Lynn Barnett et al.•Journal of Leisure Research•1981

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