Search

There are many unanswered questions about play therapy. Monitored play therapy is an attempt to discover answers to these questions. The main emphasis is on quantitative recording and analysis of the process and outcome of play therapy. However, because of its newness, monitored play therapy also has some weaknesses. The main strong point is the conceptual and physical separation of the stages of play into aggression and construction. The use of separate play rooms for aggression and construction eliminates many problems. However, some of the weaknesses found in this framework are: (1) the equality of stimulus properties of the two rooms, (2) differences in times required to complete games in the two rooms, (3) the importance of a skill factor in playing games, (4) little opportunity to manipulate aggressive materials in the clients own way, (5) no opportunity for the destruction of objects, and (6) no creative outlet for aggression. The role and limits of playroom aggression are explained as being within the limits of social acceptability. Monitored versus traditional play therapy is discussed, primarily with respect to the conceptual framework, data, and value of play therapy over no therapy. (KJ)

This paper describes the processes of Monitored Play-Therapy, a method which seeks to measure the changes which may take place over a number of play therapy sessions. The laboratory is in use at Georgia State College in Atlanta and is designed for boys seven through twelve years of age. The Monitored Playroom Laboratory consists of a control booth and two connected playrooms, one with aggressive toys and games, the other with constructive toys and materials. The control booth contains dials which indicate: (1) the time spent by each child in a room, and (2) the time spent with various toys and materials. The control booth also functions as an observation booth and contains the necessary equipment. The major stages which children in Monitored Play-Therapy seem to progress through are: (1) exploratory, (2) aggressive, and (3) constructive. On the basis of these stages, it is possible to chart the process of Monitored Play-Therapy from session to session. These data can then be analyzed in many ways, including (1) number of shots fired from guns in aggressive room, and (2) change of conversation patterns. The next step will be to analyze therapists notes to determine the frequency of different types of activities from the shelf materials. (KJ)