Preschooler Playground Observation: Piaget and Social Development

Setting and Rationale for the Observation

The observation took place at a local playground in a nearby park, because I felt that this would be the most comfortable and therefore most conducive environment for gathering information unobtrusively. I also chose this venue because, according to renowned Swiss psychologist Jean Piaget, play is a critical part of the development process — it enhances social exchanges, teaches children patience such as how to wait their turn, and inspires creative thinking and problem solving (Piaget, 1963).

Initial Observations: Self-Efficacy and Peer Dynamics on the Swings

I sat on a bench, and my attention almost immediately went to a young girl with short brown hair who seemed to be about four years old. She had just arrived with a woman I assumed to be her mother, and she was quick to get into the action. I decided to call her "Lydia" for the purpose of this observation report.

Lydia's attention turned quickly to a group of two young girls (approximately six to seven years old) playing together on the swings. One girl was pushing the other on the swing while Lydia swung next to them alone. It was obvious that she was a peripheral member of this group, but she inserted herself into the fold by taunting the other swinger's inability to swing higher than her — even though that girl was being pushed. I sensed a tone of resentment in Lydia's voice, which caused me to wonder whether she resented that the other girl was getting "help" while she was left to fend for herself. It was as if she was determined to let everyone know that she did not need anyone's help to be "the best."

Rejection and Belonging: The Slide Incident and Maslow's Hierarchy

This reminded me of Albert Bandura's (1986) theory of self-efficacy, in which striving to prove that one can do things independently plays a large role in the development process. Lydia definitely seemed determined to prove that she was self-sufficient. The notion that she might have felt resentment toward the other children is a likely scenario when examined within the context of Piaget's description of the preoperational period, which is where Lydia falls developmentally (ages two to six). In this stage, according to Piaget, children are not fully skilled at problem solving or at fully understanding the world around them. It is therefore possible that Lydia's verbal and motor skills were ahead of her social skills, which could cause her to try to "make trouble." The girls she was taunting did not seem bothered; they made a few "nuh uh" and "whatever" type comments and then continued with their activity as if Lydia were not there. Lydia then quickly tired of the swings and moved on.

Her next activity was the slide, which presented another example of Lydia trying to fit in with older children but failing at the task. The need for belonging is central to Abraham Maslow's (1970) hierarchy of needs, and while Lydia was very young, she definitely seemed to exhibit this need during my observations. There was a young boy I would estimate to be around six years old who was, along with two other boys and one girl — all of whom seemed to be around eight years old — getting in line repeatedly to go down the big slide. Several times I saw the older children push Lydia out of the way and climb the ladder in front of her when it was her turn.

Perhaps because of the earlier negative response from the children at the swings, Lydia seemed rather shy despite her initial aggressiveness in joining the other children. She did not speak out against being pushed aside and simply took her turn quietly when no one was there to deter her. This could be, as Piaget asserts, part of the process of learning patience; however, it could also reflect a lack of assertiveness rooted in low self-esteem. According to Maslow, low self-esteem is often a byproduct of a blocked attempt at self-actualization. As Scotton, Chinen, and Battista (1996) explain, "Self-actualized persons are reality-oriented, accept themselves and others, enjoy solitude, operate autonomously, and appreciate life" (p. 53). Lydia is obviously far too young to have reached this higher level of development; however, the striving for this state is a lifelong endeavor.