Zahra Zamani-Babgohari, Hamide Khasareh, S. M. Hossein Mousavi-Nasab, Volume 22, Issue 2 (8-2024)
Abstract
Aim and Background: The absence of parents causes problems in the social and psychological development of students in quasi-family centers. The use of pretend play can correct these problems. The purpose of this research was to determine the effectiveness of pretend play on the theory of mind and emotional self-regulation of homeless children under welfare. Methods and Materials: The research method was semi-experimental with a pre-test-post-test design with a control group. The statistical population of the present study consisted of children covered by the welfare of Kerman city in the first half of 2023, from which 28 children were selected by an available sampling method and they were randomly divided into two experimental (14 people) and control (14 people) groups. In order to collect data, emotional self-regulation questionnaires of Shield and Cicche, theory of mind and pretend play protocol were used for two months in 8 sessions of 60 minutes in person. A multifarious covariance data test was used to analyze the data. Findings: The findings of the research showed that by controlling the effect of the pre-test, there was a significant difference at the level of 0.05 between the mean of the post-test of emotion self-regulation and theory of mind in the two experimental groups and the control group. Conclusions: As a result, the educational method of pretend play can be used in order to reduce the psychological problems of life in quasi-family centers and to create adaptive skills of social life with an effect on self-regulation of emotion and theory of mind.
