2- The Meaning of Play (Needs Correction)

Chapter 2: (pp. 7-26)

Correct Answer: C. Play

Explanation: Unlike adults, who primarily use verbal communication, children express themselves more fully through self-initiated, spontaneous play (Landreth). Play is their natural language.

What is considered the natural medium of communication for children in therapy?

A. Writing
B. Drawing
C. Play
D. Talking

Correct Answer: C. Selected play materials

Explanation: Play therapists use developmentally appropriate toys and materials that allow children to express feelings, thoughts, and experiences symbolically and safely.

According to the child-centered play therapy philosophy, what is the main therapeutic tool used to help children express and explore their inner world?

A. Direct questioning
B. Interpretation of dreams
C. Selected play materials
D. Cognitive assessments

Correct Answer: D. They are developmentally limited in abstract reasoning

Explanation: As Piaget noted, children under age 11 typically lack the cognitive capacity for abstract thought and symbolic language; thus, their emotions are better accessed through concrete play.

Why is it inappropriate to expect young children to verbalize their emotions in therapy sessions?

A. They lack moral reasoning
B. They are shy and resistant
C. They do not trust adults
D. They are developmentally limited in abstract reasoning

Correct Answer: C. Adjusted children use a variety of toys and explore the room freely

Explanation: Adjusted children tend to be spontaneous and exploratory, while maladjusted children may be more restricted, intense, or destructive in their play (Moustakas, 1955b).

What is a common difference between adjusted and maladjusted children in play therapy?

A. Adjusted children refuse to play
B. Maladjusted children never express aggression
C. Adjusted children use a variety of toys and explore the room freely
D. Maladjusted children are more verbally expressive

Correct Answer: C. It allows children to act out threatening experiences safely

Explanation: Symbolic play helps children express complex or painful experiences indirectly, often without conscious awareness, making it safer and developmentally appropriate.

What therapeutic function does symbolic play serve according to Piaget and play therapists?

A. It distracts children from their problems
B. It replaces the need for therapy
C. It allows children to act out threatening experiences safely
D. It teaches children academic skills

Correct Answer: B. Rejection of all forms of play

Explanation: Moustakas described stages such as diffuse negative feelings, ambivalence, and realistic emotional expression. A total rejection of play is not a defined stage but could indicate other issues.

Which of the following is NOT typically a stage in the play therapy process described by Moustakas?

A. Expression of diffuse negative feelings
B. Rejection of all forms of play
C. Ambivalent feelings toward caregivers
D. Emergence of realistic positive and negative attitudes

Correct Answer: C. The therapist may be feeling anxious or out of control

Explanation: An insistence on verbal communication often reflects the therapist’s need for control or discomfort with nonverbal expression, not the child’s needs.

What does it usually indicate when a therapist insists on "getting the child to talk" during play therapy?

A. The child is not ready for therapy
B. The therapist misunderstands child development
C. The therapist may be feeling anxious or out of control
D. The therapy is going well

Correct Answer: C. Toys help children express themselves symbolically

Explanation: Just as adults use words to convey inner experiences, children use play and toys as symbols to communicate complex thoughts and emotions.

In the context of play therapy, what is meant by the phrase: “Toys are used like words, and play is the language”?

A. Children use toys to build vocabulary
B. Toys are rewards for talking
C. Toys help children express themselves symbolically
D. Toys are used only when children cannot talk

Correct Answer: C. Girls engage more in creative and relational play

Explanation: Research (e.g., Withee, 1975) found that girls exhibited more relational play, positive verbalization, and emotional expression, while boys showed more aggression and sound effects.

According to research, how do boys and girls generally differ in their play during therapy?

A. Girls show more aggression than boys
B. Boys exhibit more fantasy play and emotional verbalization
C. Girls engage more in creative and relational play
D. There are no differences at all

Correct Answer: B. It may interrupt the child’s self-healing process

Explanation: As Bettelheim emphasized, symbolic and confusing play may be the child’s own path to problem-solving, and interrupting it may disrupt this healing process.

Why is the therapist encouraged not to interfere with a child’s symbolic or seemingly chaotic play?

A. It shows disinterest in the child’s process
B. It may interrupt the child’s self-healing process
C. It teaches the child independence
D. It allows the therapist more time to observe

Correct Answer: C. It is fulfilling in itself and not dependent on external rewards

Explanation: Unlike work, play does not require external validation. Its value lies in the process, not the outcome (Landreth).

What does it mean when we say "play is intrinsically complete"?

A. It has a defined goal
B. It ends when the child is bored
C. It is fulfilling in itself and not dependent on external rewards
D. It is only complete if guided by an adult

Correct Answer: C. To build a therapeutic relationship using the child’s natural mode of expression

Explanation: Children function in a concrete world. The therapist must adapt to their developmental level, which often involves play rather than talk.

Why is it important for therapists to “go to the child’s level” in therapy?

A. To control the therapy session
B. To speed up the therapeutic process
C. To build a therapeutic relationship using the child’s natural mode of expression
D. To test the child’s developmental level

Correct Answer: C. They allow aggression to be expressed safely and constructively

Explanation: Therapists can observe and address aggression as it unfolds in play, using it as an opportunity for teaching self-control through limits.

What is the role of play materials in therapeutic limit setting with aggressive children?

A. They help distract the child
B. They prevent aggressive behavior
C. They allow aggression to be expressed safely and constructively
D. They eliminate the need for behavior management

Correct Answer: C. By helping them assimilate past experiences into new perceptions

Explanation: Play helps children reorient and reinterpret past experiences in a way that promotes self-discovery and coping.

According to Frank (1982), how does play help children relate to their past?

A. By allowing them to ignore painful experiences
B. Through abstract reasoning
C. By helping them assimilate past experiences into new perceptions
D. By teaching them moral behavior

Correct Answer: C. It makes expression safer by distancing the child from painful events

Explanation: Children often are not aware that their play is symbolic, which provides a safe buffer for expressing threatening or traumatic experiences.

What is one key benefit of symbolic distance in therapeutic play?

A. It eliminates the need for verbalization
B. It helps children play longer
C. It makes expression safer by distancing the child from painful events
D. It allows therapists to avoid sensitive topics

Correct Answer: C. Through play, abstract experiences become immediate and understandable

Explanation: Play helps children transform abstract, confusing events into here-and-now experiences, enabling them to make personal meaning.

What does the phrase “play is always a current concrete experience” imply in play therapy?

A. Play is imaginative, not real
B. Play is limited to the present and lacks therapeutic value
C. Through play, abstract experiences become immediate and understandable
D. Play must only be guided by the therapist

Correct Answer: C. Realistic and mostly positive emotions are expressed

Explanation: In the fifth stage, children demonstrate greater emotional integration, expressing balanced, realistic feelings about themselves and others.

What distinguishes the fifth stage of play therapy in Moustakas’ model?

A. The child becomes silent
B. The therapist takes over the play
C. Realistic and mostly positive emotions are expressed
D. The child begins academic learning through play

Correct Answer: B. Noncommittal exploratory behavior and curiosity

Explanation: Research (e.g., Hendricks, 1971) shows that early sessions often involve exploration, simple play, and mild emotional expression.

In the early sessions (1–4) of play therapy, children are most likely to exhibit:

A. Complex symbolic role play
B. Noncommittal exploratory behavior and curiosity
C. Strong family disclosures
D. Intense emotional breakdowns

Correct Answer: B. Creative play and expression of happiness peaked

Explanation: Withee (1975) found that during sessions 7–9, children were more expressive, happy, and shared personal information more freely.

What trend was observed in Withee’s study during sessions 7–9 of child-centered play therapy?

A. Aggressive play reached its highest point
B. Creative play and expression of happiness peaked
C. Children refused to engage in play
D. Verbal aggression increased

Correct Answer: D. Environmental and situational factors may influence the child’s play

Explanation: Therapists are warned not to over-interpret play. External events, context, and development may all impact how a child engages in play.

Which of the following is a key caution for therapists when interpreting children's play behavior?

A. All play is symbolic
B. Aggressive play always means trauma
C. One toy choice can reveal emotional history
D. Environmental and situational factors may influence the child’s play

Correct Answer: C. Curiosity, exploratory play, and simple descriptive comments

Explanation: In early sessions, children often show curiosity, engage in noncommittal and creative play, and may express simple emotions like happiness or anxiety.

During sessions 1 through 4, what behaviors are most typically observed in children during play therapy?

A. Dominant relationship building and dramatic role play
B. Increased aggressive and regressive behaviors
C. Curiosity, exploratory play, and simple descriptive comments
D. Withdrawal and emotional numbness

Correct Answer: B. Sessions 9–12

Explanation: During this stage, relationship play increases, aggressive play decreases, and children start revealing personal and family information.

At which stage do children begin to engage in more relationship-oriented play and share more about their families and themselves?

A. Sessions 1–4
B. Sessions 9–12
C. Sessions 5–8
D. Sessions 21–24

Correct Answer: B. Relationship and creative play

Explanation: This stage is marked by a rise in creative and relationship play, alongside an increase in specific aggressive expressions and complex emotions like bewilderment or disbelief.

What type of play typically predominates during sessions 13 through 16 in child-centered play therapy?

A. Regressive and passive play
B. Relationship and creative play
C. Isolated and silent behavior
D. Avoidant and disorganized play

Correct Answer: C. Sessions 17–20

Explanation: Children begin engaging in more complex dramatic and role play, with stronger relationship building with the therapist and continued expression of aggressive themes.

When do dramatic and role-play behaviors begin to dominate in the play therapy process?

A. Sessions 1–4
B. Sessions 5–8
C. Sessions 17–20
D. Sessions 21–24

Correct Answer: D. Sessions 21–24

Explanation: In this later stage, relationship play, dramatic/role play, and a rise in incidental play become the norm, suggesting greater emotional integration and spontaneity.

Which phase of play therapy typically shows a peak in incidental play alongside relationship and dramatic play?

A. Sessions 5–8
B. Sessions 9–12
C. Sessions 13–16
D. Sessions 21–24

Correct Answer: C. Sessions 1–3

Explanation: Early sessions are often marked by verbal validation, exploratory play, and high anxiety, as children test the safety of the therapeutic environment.

According to Withee (1975), when do children show the highest levels of anxiety and give the most verbal feedback to therapist reflections?

A. Sessions 10–12
B. Sessions 4–6
C. Sessions 1–3
D. Sessions 7–9

Correct Answer: A. Sessions 7–9

Explanation: During this period, aggressive play drops, and creative expression, happiness, and sharing about home/school increase significantly.

In Withee’s findings, when do creative play and verbal sharing about life events reach their peak?

A. Sessions 7–9
B. Sessions 4–6
C. Sessions 10–12
D. Sessions 1–3

Correct Answer: C. High levels of relationship play and low noncommittal play

Explanation: This phase shows a shift toward emotional connection and relational depth, as children begin to commit more fully to the therapeutic relationship.

What major change in play behavior is seen in sessions 10–12 according to Withee’s study?

A. A return to exploratory behavior
B. Peak levels of aggressive and bizarre play
C. High levels of relationship play and low noncommittal play
D. Increased avoidance and resistance

Correct Answer: B. Verbal redirection of therapist and nonverbal anger expression

Explanation: Children begin to challenge and direct the therapist more openly, with increased anxiety and symbolic anger emerging.

What behavior becomes especially evident in sessions 13–15, per Withee's findings?

A. Withdrawal from therapist
B. Verbal redirection of therapist and nonverbal anger expression
C. Passive role-playing
D. Fantastical play without emotional content

Correct Answer: C. It evolves from exploratory/aggressive to relational and symbolic

Explanation: Over time, children's play shows a discernible developmental sequence, starting from noncommittal/exploratory, shifting to aggression, and then deepening into relationship building and symbolic problem-solving.

How does children’s play typically change across the full course (24 sessions) of therapy?

A. It becomes more withdrawn and dependent on the therapist
B. It remains noncommittal and exploratory throughout
C. It evolves from exploratory/aggressive to relational and symbolic
D. It becomes less creative over time

Correct Answer: B. Generalized aggressive play increases

Explanation: In sessions 5–8, children continue exploratory play, but generalized aggression increases, reflecting deeper emotional surfacing.

What is one of the key differences between the children's play in sessions 5–8 compared to sessions 1–4?

A. Play becomes more regressive and silent
B. Generalized aggressive play increases
C. Curiosity disappears entirely
D. Children avoid interaction with the therapist

Correct Answer: B. Nonverbal checking with the therapist

Explanation: Children begin to seek validation and emotional cues nonverbally from the therapist, marking a growing therapeutic alliance.

What new behavior emerges in sessions 9–12, indicating a shift in the therapeutic process?

A. Decrease in physical movement
B. Nonverbal checking with the therapist
C. Decrease in verbal communication
D. Refusal to play

Correct Answer: C. Happiness

Explanation: Happiness becomes the dominant emotional tone, even amid continued aggressive content, reflecting growing emotional resolution.

In sessions 17–20, what emotion is most commonly expressed by children?

A. Disgust
B. Bewilderment
C. Happiness
D. Fear