A noticeable difference in the game playing of children in middle childhood compared with that of the preschool years is the:

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Question restatement: The prompt asks to identify a noticeable difference in how children in middle childhood play compared to their preschool years.
Option 1: 'marked decrease in the size of play group' This suggests smaller playgroups in middle childhood, but research shows that social play groups can expand and become more stable as children enter school, so a marked decrease is not the hallmark change. It mischaracterizes the social dynamics of middle childhood.
Option 2: 'playing of games based upon rules' This aligns with developmental expectations for middle childhood, when children gain greater cognitive and social skills that support rule-governed activities, teamwork, and strategic thinking, such as organized games and sports. It reflects the shift from imaginative, unstructured play toward more structured, rule-based play.
Option 3: 'marked increase in fantasy role play' While fantasy play is prominent in preschool years, middle childhood tends to rely less on fantasy and more on rule-based, goal-directed activities; a marked increase in fantasy role play would be more characteristic of preschool-aged play, not middle childhood.
Option 4: 'playing of games without rules' The absence of rules describes much of early imaginative play, but middle childhood typically introduces rule-based games and activities, so this option contradicts the developmental trajectory of this period.
In summary, the distinguishing feature of middle childhood play is the incorporation of rules and structured games, reflecting advanced cognitive and social development, whereas the other options either misstate social group size trends, confuse the nature of fantasy play, or imply a lack of rules that is inconsistent with typical middle-childhood play patterns.

PSYC-312-02 Midterm 4

A noticeable difference in the game playing of children in middle childhood compared with that of the preschool years is the:

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