Untangling the mysteries of pretend play in parent-child interactions

PhD student Catherine Sheehan is researching the role of pretend play in children’s emotional development.

Catherine's PhD research explores pretend play and emotional development in children who have been referred by their schoolteachers for behaviour and socio-emotional problems.

“People often underestimate the complexity of pretend play,” she says. “Children just look like they’re having fun when they’re having a tea party with teddies, but so many complex cognitive and social skills are also at play! My research is all about whether pretend play helps children to develop emotional skills.”

A Window Into Their Mind, by Catherine Sheehan – the Doctoral Academy Images of Research Competition first-place winner, 2024

If you'd like to further explore  Catherine's research, please read more about Untangling the mysteries of pretend play in parent-child interactions - Stories from Cardiff University - Cardiff University.