Discuss the role of peers and/or play in development.

Refer to the paper 2 assessment criteria when awarding marks. These can be found under the “Your tests” tab > supplemental materials.

The command term “discuss” requires the candidate to offer a considered review of the role of peers and/or play in development.

Relevant studies may include but are not limited to:

• Fagot’s (1985) study on gender-specific toys and play
• Hughes’s (1999) study on learning social skills through role play
• Todd et al.’s (2016) study on preferences for gender-type toys
• Russ’s (2004) study of a child’s capacity for cognitive flexibility and creativity developed by role play
• Bradley’s (1985) study on social cognitive development and toys
• Bradbard et al.’s (1986) study of the influence of sex stereotypes on children’s exploration and memory
• Albert et al.’s (2013) study on peer influences in adolescent decision-making.

Topics for discussion may include, but are not limited to:

• gender specific toys and clothing in gender identity development
• the role of toys in cognitive development
• the role of peers in modelling behaviours
• the role of peers and play in gender role development
• the role of peers and play in cognitive development
• research into types of play and the effect on social development
• the role of play in learning about co-operation and competition.

Candidates may discuss one aspect of the role of peers or play in development in order to demonstrate depth of knowledge, or may discuss a larger number of aspects of the role of peers and/or play in development in order to demonstrate breadth of knowledge. Both approaches are equally acceptable.

This was the least popular question within the option and it was often addressed with minimal knowledge. Overall, there was a range of different responses, with some better candidates showing knowledge of theories of peer interaction and play, while others attempted to make what they had learned in Developmental Psychology fit the question, rather than providing a clear answer.

Top quality responses tended to address a number of different aspects of the role of peers and/or play in development:

• The role of toys in cognitive development
• The role of peers and play in gender role development
• The role of peers in modelling behaviour.

Unfortunately, some responses were anecdotal or contained research irrelevant to the question (e.g., Bobo doll experiment, Harlow’s monkey study)