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Presentation held in international conference of childhood and childhood studies, Oulu, Finland 9.5.2014
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The Value of Toys6–8 -year-old children’s toy preferences and
functional analysis of popular toys
VI Conference on Childhood Studies :
Values of Childhood and Childhood Studies / 7-9.5.2014
Pekka Mertala; Hannele Karikoski; Liisa Tähtinen & Vesa-Matti Sarenius
Background
Play in different contexts
AMO Oy
2011 - 2013
1 submitted journal article; 3 conference presentations; 4 master theses; 2 bachelor theses
This study
Limitations in past studies of children’s toy preferences
Limitations in past toy classification systems
The functional manipulationpotential of toys
http://ca.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motocicleta
http://www.lelupartanen.fi/puulelut/14425-jukka-askare-6417665014718.html
RQ1: What type of toys children will choose? RH1: Children will choose toys that promote role play (toys
making use of representative and performative elements) and rule play (toys bringing normative elements into play)
RH2: Boys and girls would choose mainly different toys
RQ2: How and what basis would children reason out their toy preferences? RH3: Boys would be stricter than girls in choosing toys they
label as gender-appropriate
Research questions and hypotheses
Category-based popularity rank of toys
BOYS GIRLS
All Top five All Top five
Generic animal figures Generic animal figures Generic animal figures Generic animals figures
Games Cars Girl figures Girl figures
Angry Birds Games Angry Birds Real size dolls
Cars Angry Birds Real Size dolls Angry birds
Role play equipment Role play equipment Games Games
BOYS GIRLS
DIGGING SETRepresentative (PATR); Productive (CG); Normative (X)
SPEED PAWN -DOGRepresentative (PATR), Performative (T)
DEFIANT TRACK & CARRepresentative (PATR); Gender (M)
Productive (CG); Performative (t); Techology (X); Normative (x)
BRATZ WINTER WORLDRepresentative (PATRf); Gender (F); Performative (T)
ANGRY BIRDSRepresantive (PAtFr); Gender (m); Performative (T)
BRATZILLARepresentative (PATFr); Gender (F); Performative (T)
SPY GEARRepresentative: (PATRf); Gender (M); Performative (P);
Technology (x)
LALALOOPSYRepresentative (PATRf); Gender (F); Performative (P)
NIKKO CARRepresantative (PATR); Gender (M); Performative (t); Technology
(X)
DIGGING SETRepresentative (PATR); Productive (CG); Normative (X)
Functional analysis of top 5 toys
The four values of toys
Functional value
Girl 1 (8): I like babies. They are fun to carry and feed and dress-up. I can nurture it like if it’s a real baby.
Material value
Girl 2 (8): It comes with lot of supplies! It’s good because I have only a few Bratz-things…
The four values of toys
Social value
Researcher: So why did you wanted this spy gear -set?
Boy 2 (7): Well, maybe because Jonas likes to spy and he comes often to play at my place.
Personal value
Researcher: Why did you choose this (Bratz boutique) toy?
Girl 3 (8): Well because they go shopping and I really like to go to clothes-stores.
Researcher: Was there something else that you liked about it?
Girl 3: No. I just really like shopping.
Future possibilites
how children’s reasoning and the functional manipulation potential of toys correlate with the actual play activities children experience as they use them
Thank you!
A draft in more detail can be found from: https://oulu.academia.edu/PekkaMertala
Conclusion
