Barbie® and neuroscientists from Cardiff
University have collaborated on a new study which for the first
time uses neuroimaging as evidence to explore the effects of doll
play
- Evidence shows that doll play activates brain regions which are
associated with social information processing and empathy,
indicating that doll play enables children to rehearse, use and
perform these skills even when playing on their own
- Other findings show that doll play allows children to develop
empathy and social processing skills more so than solo tablet play,
even when playing by themselves
- To understand the relevancy of the study, Barbie independently
commissioned a global survey in 22 different countries questioning
15,000 parents which showed 91 percent of parents rank empathy as a
key social skill they would like their child to develop, but only
26 percent were aware that doll play could help their child develop
these skills
- Today Barbie launches an online hub featuring resources for
parents, caregivers, and children, to support them in their social
processing skills which has been developed alongside leading
empathy expert, writer, and educational psychologist, Dr. Michele
Borba
(NASDAQ: MAT): Today, Barbie®, and a team of neuroscientists
from Cardiff University, announces findings of a new study
conducted using neuroscience for the first time to explore the
positive impact doll play has on children, bringing to light new
evidence that doll play activates brain regions that allow children
to develop empathy and social information processing skills, even
when playing by themselves.
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NEW STUDY SHOWS THAT PLAYING WITH DOLLS
ALLOWS CHILDREN TO DEVELOP EMPATHY AND SOCIAL PROCESSING SKILLS
(Photo: Business Wire)
Over the past 18 months, senior lecturer Dr. Sarah Gerson and
colleagues at Cardiff University’s Centre for Human Developmental
Science have used neuroimaging technology to provide the first
indications of the benefits of doll play at a brain level. Through
monitoring the brain activity of 33 children* between the ages of 4
and 8, as they played with a range of Barbie dolls, the team found
that the posterior superior temporal sulcus (pSTS), a region of the
brain associated with social information processing such as
empathy, was activated even when the child was playing on their
own. These benefits of solo doll play were shown to be equal for
both boys and girls.
Dr. Gerson explains: “This is a completely new finding. We use
this area of the brain when we think about other people, especially
when we think about another person’s thoughts or feelings. Dolls
encourage them to create their own little imaginary worlds, as
opposed to say, problem-solving or building games. They encourage
children to think about other people and how they might interact
with each other. The fact that we saw the pSTS to be active in our
study shows that playing with dolls is helping them rehearse some
of the social skills they will need in later life. Because this
brain region has been shown to play a similar role in supporting
empathy and social processing across six continents, these findings
are likely to be country agnostic”.
To gather the data for the study, the children’s play was split
into different sections so the Cardiff team could capture the brain
activity relating to each other kind of play separately: playing
with the dolls on their own; playing with the dolls together with
another person (the research assistant); playing with the tablet
game on their own and playing with the tablet game along with
another person (the research assistant).
The dolls used included a diverse range of Barbie dolls and play
sets, with all Barbie dolls and sets returned to starting positions
before each child began their test to ensure consistency of
experience. Tablet play was carried out using games that allow
children to engage with open and creative play (rather than a rule
or goal-based games) to provide a similar play experience to doll
play.
The findings of the study show that when children played alone
with dolls, they showed the same levels of activation of the pSTS
as they do when playing with others. Another finding of the study
is that when children were left to play tablet games on their own,
there was far less activation of the pSTS, even though the games
involved a considerable creative element.
To understand the relevancy of these neuroscience findings,
Barbie independently commissioned a global survey** that asked more
than 15,000 parents of children in 22 countries. Results of this
showed 91 percent of parents ranked empathy as a key social skill
they would like their child to develop, but only 26 percent were
aware that doll play could help their child develop these skills.
During this time at home, parents are increasingly worried about
ensuring their child is developing social development skills, with
more than two-thirds (70 percent) saying they are concerned about
how this isolation might affect their child and how their child
interacts with others. Similarly, 74 percent of parents are more
likely to encourage their child to play with a toy if they knew it
was proven to help their child develop social and emotional skills,
like empathy.
“As leaders in the dolls category, we’ve always known that doll
play has a positive impact on kids, but up until now, we have not
had neuroscientific data that demonstrates these benefits,” says
Lisa McKnight, SVP and Global Head of Barbie and Dolls, Mattel.
“The findings of this research highlights that playing with dolls,
such as Barbie, offers positive benefits in preparing children for
the future through nurturing social skills like empathy. As we
continue to inspire the limitless potential in every child, we are
proud to offer dolls that encourage skills we know are highly
valued by parents and are determinants in children’s future
emotional, academic, and social success.”
Barbie will be supporting these findings with an online hub,
Barbie.com/BenefitsOfDollPlay, featuring resources for parents,
caregivers, and children, to assist them in enhancing and applying
their social processing skills. These resources have been developed
alongside leading empathy expert, writer, and educational
psychologist, Dr. Michele Borba.
Michele Borba says: “The latest scientific findings from Cardiff
University and Barbie are extraordinary and so relevant to the
times we are living, given the limited social interaction our
children can have. It’s been shown that children who have developed
empathy and social skills early in life can have better grades,
stay in school longer and make healthier choices overall.
Empathetic children might also be more likely to stand up for a
child being bullied and try to engage and resolve the conflict.
Understanding that kids can help develop these skills through
playing with dolls like Barbie, is remarkable and a helpful tool
for parents.”
The results of the study are published today in Frontiers in
Human Neuroscience as ‘Exploring the Benefits of Doll Play through
Neuroscience.’ Recognising that this study is a first step
towards understanding the positive impact of doll play with further
research required to build on these initial findings, Dr. Sarah
Gerson and the Cardiff University team along with Mattel, have
committed to further neuroscience studies in 2021.
Notes to editors
*Study was conducted with 42 children (20 x boys and 22 x girls)
aged from 4-8 years old with full data captured from 33 children.
**Survey by OnePoll in July 2020 in 22 different countries
questioning 15,000 parents of children aged from 3-10 years
old.
Further details about the Neuroscience study
To gather the data Dr. Sarah Gerson and the team used a new
neuroimaging technology, functional near-infrared spectroscopy
(fNIRS), which makes it possible to scan brain activity while
children are moving around. The technology comprises of head-worn
caps allowing for free movement. The tests were conducted in a
controlled testing room. The children’s play was split into
different sections so the team could capture the brain activity
relating to each other kind of play separately: playing with the
dolls on their own; playing with the dolls together with another
person (the Research Assistant); playing with the tablet game on
their own and playing with the tablet game together with another
person (the Research Assistant). The dolls used included a wide
range of diverse Barbie’s family sets, careers set, Dream House
set, and animal set with all Barbie dolls and sets returned to
starting positions before each child began their test to ensure
consistency of experience. Tablet play was carried out using games
that were chosen for allowing children to engage with open and
creative play (rather than a rule or goal-based games) to provide a
comparative play experience to doll play. The ethical review panel
at the School of Psychology at Cardiff University approved all
procedures from recruitment onwards, and children were recruited
from a panel of families in the UK area who have previously opted
into being contacted for taking part in research at Cardiff’s
School of Psychology.
About Cardiff University
Cardiff University is recognised in independent government
assessments as one of Britain’s leading teaching and research
universities. It is a member of the Russell Group of the UK’s most
research-intensive universities. The 2014 Research Excellence
Framework ranked the University 5th in the UK for research
excellence. Among its academic staff are two Nobel Laureates,
including the winner of the 2007 Nobel Prize for Medicine,
Professor Sir Martin Evans. Founded by Royal Charter in 1883, today
the University combines impressive modern facilities and a dynamic
approach to teaching and research. The University’s breadth of
expertise encompasses: The College of Arts, Humanities and Social
Sciences; the College of Biomedical and Life Sciences; and the
College of Physical Sciences and Engineering, along with a
longstanding commitment to lifelong learning.
About Mattel
Mattel is a leading global children's entertainment company that
specializes in design and production of quality toys and consumer
products. We create innovative products and experiences that
inspire, entertain and develop children through play. We engage
consumers through our portfolio of iconic franchises, including
Barbie®, Hot Wheels®, American Girl®, Fisher-Price®, Thomas &
Friends® and MEGA®, as well as other popular brands that we own or
license in partnership with global entertainment companies. Our
offerings include film and television content, gaming, music and
live events. We operate in 40 locations and sell products in more
than 150 countries in collaboration with the world's leading retail
and technology companies. Since its founding in 1945, Mattel is
proud to be a trusted partner in exploring the wonder of childhood
and empowering kids to reach their full potential. Visit us online
at mattel.com.
MAT-BARB
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Devin Tucker Mattel devin.tucker@mattel.com
Marissa Beck Mattel marissa.beck2@mattel.com
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