A descriptive and experimental evaluation of preschooler aggressive toy play

Abstract

Aggressive toy play is commonly observed in early childhood classrooms, yet strategies to address this problem behavior have not been articulated in the research literature. In Study 1, we examined the relation between aggressive play and preference for three toy types: (a) structured "aggressive" (e.g., action figures), (b) structured "non-aggressive" (e.g., docile animals), and (c) unstructured (e.g., wood blocks) toys. Nine of 10 children that participated preferred structured aggressive toys; only half of the children exhibited the most aggressive play with toys of this type. For three children, we identified two sets of toys that were highly preferred (HP) and correlated with aggressive play and two sets of toys that were less preferred (LP) and not correlated with aggressive play. These children and toys were evaluated in Study 2 in which the direct and indirect effects of blocking aggressive play were assessed on aggression and toy interaction. Blocking reduced aggressive play for two of three children. All participants displayed a shift in preference for toys as a function of blocking. One participant displayed a decrease in overall levels of interaction as a function of blocking; however, no other negative side effects were observed.