Play in evolution, culture, and individual adaptation: implications for therapy.
In this paper human play is examined from the perspective of its role in evolution. A model of social evolution is proposed to extend the model of biological evolution and to demonstrate the central role of play in the social-evolutionary process. Since in evolution play is a mechanism for its process, it demands species members who are playful. Thus, man is a player by virtue of species membership and the evolutionary pathway of the species. The implications of this deep-seated characteristic of playfulness are discussed in terms of human development. Finally, a set of principles is derived from the evolutionary-developmental characteristics of play. Application of these principles in clinical practice is demonstrated and discussed.
D000293:Adolescent; D003469:Culture; D006233:Persons with Disabilities; D006803:Human Development; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009788:Occupational Therapy; D010989:Play Therapy; D010988:Play and Playthings; D012917:Social Adjustment; D012920:Social Behavior Disorders / Q000628:therapy