Play tendency and prosociality in early childhood

This study examines preschool children's play tendency and their prosocial behavior. The screening method was used in the study, and it was carried out with a total of 319 four- to six-year-old children who attended state kindergartens. "Children's Playfulness Scale" and "Child Prosocialness Scale" were used as data collection tools. According to the results, no significant difference was found in the play tendency and prosocial behavior scores in relation with gender and parent's employment status. However, a significant difference was found in the play tendency and prosocial behavior scores in relation with age and family income. In terms of the number of siblings, while there was no significant difference in prosocial behavior scores, a significant difference was found in the play tendency. A significant positive relationship was found between the play tendency and prosocial behavior scores. The findings are discussed with regard to the relevant literature.