Psychologists at Cardiff University and King's College London have found that playing with dolls can enhance children's imagination and social skills more effectively than playing on electronic devices. The study, published in the peer-reviewed journal Plos One, compared children aged four to eight who were given dolls with those given tablets loaded with video games.
The research revealed that children who played with dolls showed greater improvement in 'false-belief reasoning' – the ability to understand that others may hold beliefs different from reality. This skill is considered a cornerstone of social development. In contrast, children using tablets were more likely to play alone, while those with dolls engaged more with friends and family.
Lead author Dr Sarah Gerson from Cardiff University said: 'When playing with dolls, children have the opportunity to role-play characters, create narratives, and act out scenarios – doing so relies on and fosters the ability to imagine others' thoughts, feelings, and intentions.' The study involved 73 children in a randomised controlled trial over six weeks, with parents recording playtime at home.
The research was funded by US toymaker Mattel, which provided the dolls, including Ken and Barbie. However, Cardiff University stressed that the study maintained scientific integrity through independent data collection and analysis. The findings showed no differences between boys and girls in the benefits gained from doll play.
The study comes amid growing concerns over children's screen time. Recent research indicated that nine-month-old babies in England now average 41 minutes of screen use per day. The researchers concluded that the unique improvement in false belief reasoning was likely due to the type of toy, providing causal evidence that doll play enhances social cognition.
