Handing your kid a tablet might keep them busy, but it won’t necessarily help them figure out what other people are thinking or feeling. New research suggests that playing with dolls builds that ability more effectively than time spent on tablet games.
In a randomized trial, children aged 4 to 8 who played with dolls over several weeks improved more on a task that measures how well they can follow someone else’s mistaken belief. That skill underpins how kids form relationships and navigate social situations.
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Families were asked to encourage regular play at home over about six weeks. Some children received dolls, while others used tablets loaded with open-ended games. After the intervention, researchers tested how well kids could separate their own knowledge from what another person believes is true.
Kids in the doll group made stronger gains, pointing to a real difference in how
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