Research and clinical applications of the doll-play interview.

The article focuses on research and clinical applications of the doll-play interview. There is a real need for a technique which permits the exploration of the child's feelings in a fairly short period of time, and yet is simple and flexible enough to be used with very young children, and adaptable to investigation of a large variety of problems. It should be possible to obtain specific information, which can be recorded easily. Furthermore, requirements of high reliability and validity should be met. The purpose of this paper was to describe a doll-play interviewing procedure and to summarize information about reliability and validity. Its applicability in clinical diagnosis and research as a flexible tool for attacking a large variety of problems and producing specific quantifiable data was discussed. Methods for increasing its value were pointed out. It is concluded that the doll-play interview can be a valuable technique for studying children's behavior clinically and experimentally. The doll-play interview takes place in a play situation, in which dolls are asked questions. The child answers for the dolls and is encouraged to manipulate the dolls as well as to give verbal answers.