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Abstract This study was designed to investigate the effects of child-centered group play sessions (using the play therapy interaction approach) and sex differences on self-control, free play, and sociometric ratings in young bilingual Puerto Rican children. Analyses made of pre-test scores for the dependent measures yielded no significant differences among groups. The main analyses consisted of three 2 (treatment) × 2 (sex) analyses of variance with repeated measures (ANOVA) using pre- and post-measures on self-control behaviors, free play ratings, and sociometric scores. Separate post hoc Tukey tests were run on each of the three main dependent measures. The results showed that children who received group play sessions outperformed those in the control group on the self-control and free play rating scales; boys in the experimental treatment outperformed both girls in the experimental treatment and all children in the control group on the sociometric measure. The results were interpreted and discussed in terms of non-directive humanistic theories of play therapy (e.g., Rogerian) as they relate to intervention techniques for meeting personal and emotional needs of children in underserved minority groups.
Susan L. Trostle (Sat,) studied this question.