00:00:17.690 --> 00:00:22.690
- Play research, in a sense,
has various serious percussions

00:00:23.477 --> 00:00:26.093
for understanding who we really are.

00:00:27.680 --> 00:00:31.580
Play is slightly different
from species to species,

00:00:31.580 --> 00:00:33.290
but once you've seen it

00:00:33.290 --> 00:00:36.623
you can recognize it in
its many different forms.

00:00:43.400 --> 00:00:45.900
[dog barking]

00:01:10.700 --> 00:01:12.830
- People are really
interested in how the study

00:01:12.830 --> 00:01:17.540
of animal play can help us
learn more about human play.

00:01:17.540 --> 00:01:19.220
And there's a number of
different avenues.

00:01:19.220 --> 00:01:21.830
One is what animals do when they play,

00:01:21.830 --> 00:01:24.080
what do young human
animals do when they play?

00:01:24.080 --> 00:01:26.930
And we see the same
sorts of play signals

00:01:26.930 --> 00:01:29.360
and the use of play signals to say,

00:01:29.360 --> 00:01:31.433
"This is play," not aggression.

00:01:36.560 --> 00:01:41.560
- Is play just a byproduct
of youth exuberance

00:01:42.650 --> 00:01:44.270
or does it serve a function?

00:01:44.270 --> 00:01:47.870
And we can look across
different animal species

00:01:47.870 --> 00:01:49.430
other than humans, right,

00:01:49.430 --> 00:01:51.607
and see, is play ubiquitous?

00:01:51.607 --> 00:01:52.808
Is it just everywhere?

00:02:04.160 --> 00:02:05.960
- In primates in particular,

00:02:05.960 --> 00:02:09.923
where brain growth is
delayed to after birth,

00:02:13.730 --> 00:02:16.910
this kind of activity
enhances brain growth.

00:02:16.910 --> 00:02:20.120
It actually is a part of
brain maturation.

00:02:20.120 --> 00:02:21.560
But if that's true,

00:02:21.560 --> 00:02:24.317
then having normal brain development

00:02:24.317 --> 00:02:27.353
might actually depend on
having a fair amount of play.

00:02:29.000 --> 00:02:32.240
You might see wrestling,
this sort of rough-and-tumble play.

00:02:32.240 --> 00:02:35.060
You might see that during an
actual aggressive encounter.

00:02:35.060 --> 00:02:38.718
But what makes all of this different

00:02:38.718 --> 00:02:40.040
is the fact that it's all relaxed.

00:02:40.040 --> 00:02:42.790
It's all appearing to be great fun.

00:02:47.000 --> 00:02:48.800
- We've observed a
couple of different ways

00:02:48.800 --> 00:02:52.043
that gorillas signal their
intent to play.

00:02:53.360 --> 00:02:55.430
It could be just running by

00:02:55.430 --> 00:02:58.043
and kicking someone off to the side.

00:03:03.140 --> 00:03:07.040
Or it could be a chest beat display,
but when they stop

00:03:07.040 --> 00:03:11.060
they're not showing that
aggressive stance or tight lips,

00:03:11.060 --> 00:03:13.160
which means they have tension.

00:03:13.160 --> 00:03:16.430
It's clearly a display to
get someone's attention.

00:03:16.430 --> 00:03:18.980
Then he'll go over there
and bite him a little bit.

00:03:59.325 --> 00:04:01.540
- It's clearly play
'cause they're not really

00:04:01.540 --> 00:04:03.560
biting one another hard,

00:04:03.560 --> 00:04:06.440
and then they run away to get
the other dogs to chase them.

00:04:06.440 --> 00:04:07.820
And they'll go for the forefeet.

00:04:07.820 --> 00:04:09.140
You notice they don't bite the lips

00:04:09.140 --> 00:04:12.236
or the ears or the mouth, the nose.

00:04:12.236 --> 00:04:14.540
It's amazing how much
coordination they have

00:04:14.540 --> 00:04:17.150
when they're playing
and moving so fast.

00:04:17.150 --> 00:04:19.766
Dogs use what we call a "play bow"

00:04:19.766 --> 00:04:22.023
to ask other dogs to play.

00:04:22.023 --> 00:04:23.630
And then they insert them

00:04:23.630 --> 00:04:26.870
when they're going to bite
another animal really hard

00:04:26.870 --> 00:04:28.760
or they just did bite another animal

00:04:28.760 --> 00:04:30.413
to just say, "This is still play."

00:04:32.180 --> 00:04:33.580
There was a quick bow there.

00:04:35.393 --> 00:04:39.050
And you can see there's nothing
competitive about it at all.

00:04:39.050 --> 00:04:42.620
So when dogs play, dominance
usually goes out the window

00:04:42.620 --> 00:04:45.230
and it's a safe environment for them.

00:04:45.230 --> 00:04:46.970
They don't bite as hard as they can,

00:04:46.970 --> 00:04:50.303
and they don't slam into one
another as hard as they can.

00:04:52.629 --> 00:04:54.560
In fact, dominant animals
will roll over.

00:04:54.560 --> 00:04:56.213
It's called self-handicapping.

00:04:57.080 --> 00:05:00.860
And dominant animals will
allow themselves to be chased,

00:05:00.860 --> 00:05:03.230
which they don't do outside
of the context of play.

00:05:03.230 --> 00:05:05.690
And it's the same in
wolves and coyotes.

00:05:05.690 --> 00:05:07.313
That's what's just great about play.

00:05:07.313 --> 00:05:10.610
They can go from social play
to object play with a ball,

00:05:10.610 --> 00:05:12.876
or just solitary play.

00:05:12.876 --> 00:05:15.170
[singer vocalizing]

00:05:15.170 --> 00:05:17.180
Dogs play for a number of reasons.

00:05:17.180 --> 00:05:18.800
There's four major reasons.

00:05:18.800 --> 00:05:22.133
The first is for social
development and socialization.

00:05:23.259 --> 00:05:27.092
[singer vocalizing]

00:05:29.540 --> 00:05:31.223
Second is physical development.

00:05:33.050 --> 00:05:36.623
It builds muscles,
tendons, joints, and bones.

00:05:38.120 --> 00:05:40.620
The third function would
be cognitive development.

00:05:42.140 --> 00:05:46.073
They learn how hard they
can bite and be safe.

00:05:48.620 --> 00:05:51.774
And the fourth is called training
for the unexpected, where,

00:05:51.774 --> 00:05:53.510
because the sequences are variable,

00:05:53.510 --> 00:05:56.033
it trains animals to
expect the unexpected.

00:05:59.542 --> 00:06:01.643
And that seems to cross species.

00:06:04.970 --> 00:06:09.970
- We started our work
on rat play about 1978.

00:06:10.220 --> 00:06:13.970
I just went into the laboratory
and started observing them

00:06:13.970 --> 00:06:18.350
and spent many, many hours
and weeks in the laboratory

00:06:18.350 --> 00:06:21.173
measuring dozens of behaviors.

00:06:22.310 --> 00:06:24.915
One of the first things
we discovered about play

00:06:24.915 --> 00:06:28.760
was that play releases
opioids in the brain.

00:06:28.760 --> 00:06:31.430
We have these molecules in our brain,

00:06:31.430 --> 00:06:32.910
and they lead to us becoming

00:06:32.910 --> 00:06:35.360
socially attached to each other.

00:06:35.360 --> 00:06:37.610
You can't have friendships without joy,

00:06:37.610 --> 00:06:39.680
without sharing positive things.

00:06:39.680 --> 00:06:42.293
And play is the primary
vehicle for that.

00:06:44.810 --> 00:06:47.780
- I love the fact that
dolphins have been documented

00:06:47.780 --> 00:06:51.443
to spend three quarters
of their lives at play.

00:06:55.250 --> 00:06:59.540
With dolphins, every time I am
with them they play with me.

00:06:59.540 --> 00:07:02.570
I've seen dolphins tease
each other underwater

00:07:02.570 --> 00:07:05.660
and feint something, like
come speeding towards you,

00:07:05.660 --> 00:07:07.970
at the last minute speed off.

00:07:07.970 --> 00:07:09.620
That's hilarious to them.

00:07:09.620 --> 00:07:11.420
That's one of their favorite games.

00:07:11.420 --> 00:07:15.950
And they also will come, if
they trust you, float belly up,

00:07:15.950 --> 00:07:18.817
which for any cetacean
to float belly up and

00:07:18.817 --> 00:07:22.158
the blowhole really in a
vulnerable position underwater,

00:07:22.158 --> 00:07:24.293
is a sign that you are accepted.

00:07:34.340 --> 00:07:36.590
- Why would we study animal play?

00:07:36.590 --> 00:07:40.606
Because that's the only way to
really understand human play.

00:07:44.696 --> 00:07:47.529
[group laughing]

00:07:50.960 --> 00:07:53.900
- The first five years is
when the human being has the,

00:07:53.900 --> 00:07:58.370
I will say the biggest
development, meaning you just--

00:07:58.370 --> 00:08:00.830
It's not about growing,
physically speaking,

00:08:00.830 --> 00:08:04.700
but you develop coordination,
you develop language,

00:08:04.700 --> 00:08:07.100
you develop problem-solving skills.

00:08:07.100 --> 00:08:10.880
There's many things that the
human being start acquiring

00:08:10.880 --> 00:08:13.310
during those first years
to be part of a society

00:08:13.310 --> 00:08:15.083
or to be a human.

00:08:16.105 --> 00:08:18.050
[both laughing]

00:08:18.050 --> 00:08:20.835
- We're recognizing that
rough-and-tumble play

00:08:20.835 --> 00:08:22.868
is different from aggression.

00:08:22.868 --> 00:08:25.042
Rough-and-tumble play is social play.

00:08:25.042 --> 00:08:27.380
It involves reciprocal role-taking.

00:08:27.380 --> 00:08:30.740
So when you wrestle, you
start off as being on top,

00:08:30.740 --> 00:08:32.630
then go on bottom.

00:08:32.630 --> 00:08:34.640
You start off as being the chaser,

00:08:34.640 --> 00:08:36.203
and then you become the chasee.

00:08:37.160 --> 00:08:40.730
It involves where
there's physical contact,

00:08:40.730 --> 00:08:45.730
soft contact or open-hand
contact or miss.

00:08:46.479 --> 00:08:47.312
Positive affect.

00:08:49.371 --> 00:08:50.810
It's known as a play face.

00:08:50.810 --> 00:08:54.080
If you look at dogs,
they have a play face.

00:08:54.080 --> 00:08:56.600
If you look at lions,
they have a play face.

00:08:56.600 --> 00:08:58.073
Kids have play faces.

00:08:59.512 --> 00:09:02.179
[both laughing]

00:09:13.910 --> 00:09:16.790
- It doesn't necessarily
always stay positive.

00:09:16.790 --> 00:09:19.798
It takes you into problematic places,

00:09:19.798 --> 00:09:22.344
but that help you learn how

00:09:22.344 --> 00:09:24.263
to live properly in the social world.

00:09:27.200 --> 00:09:28.210
- No, stop!

00:09:28.210 --> 00:09:30.203
I don't need your help!

00:09:30.203 --> 00:09:32.353
- [Friend] I'm gonna keep
working on that.

00:09:32.353 --> 00:09:35.436
- [Child] No, I don't need your help!

00:09:36.590 --> 00:09:40.970
- The young children know
how to be with one another.

00:09:40.970 --> 00:09:42.680
And if they don't know, they learn.

00:09:42.680 --> 00:09:46.130
They learn very quickly from
one another how far you can go

00:09:46.130 --> 00:09:47.720
or where you can touch someone

00:09:47.720 --> 00:09:49.820
or where you can roll
around on the floor.

00:09:51.015 --> 00:09:53.765
[group laughing]

00:09:57.590 --> 00:10:02.570
- You can identify the play by
there being lots of laughter.

00:10:02.570 --> 00:10:06.620
The laughter is the
indication to each other

00:10:06.620 --> 00:10:08.363
that you're having a great time.

00:10:09.871 --> 00:10:12.538
[both laughing]

00:10:19.040 --> 00:10:22.400
- And when I think about the nervousness

00:10:22.400 --> 00:10:24.230
that a lot of schools have, for example,

00:10:24.230 --> 00:10:26.870
about kids playing in the schoolyard,

00:10:26.870 --> 00:10:29.220
we're worried about it
turning into aggression.

00:10:31.010 --> 00:10:35.330
There seems to be too ready a response

00:10:35.330 --> 00:10:39.140
to disallow those kinds of interactions.

00:10:39.140 --> 00:10:42.020
This is play, and this
is important play.

00:10:42.020 --> 00:10:43.610
There's some slapping and wrestling

00:10:43.610 --> 00:10:45.500
and there's roughhousing going on,

00:10:45.500 --> 00:10:48.050
but it's actually important
socializing function

00:10:48.050 --> 00:10:49.118
for these kids.

00:10:49.118 --> 00:10:51.830
And again, speaking to some
of this emotional regulation,

00:10:51.830 --> 00:10:53.270
it's good practice.

00:10:53.270 --> 00:10:56.000
So this is a very
important kind of activity,

00:10:56.000 --> 00:10:59.210
perhaps as important
as what you're learning

00:10:59.210 --> 00:11:00.460
inside the classroom.

00:11:02.013 --> 00:11:04.930
[indistinct chatter]

00:11:08.390 --> 00:11:10.907
- I want to get down!

00:11:14.047 --> 00:11:17.330
- When we're looking at play
across different species,

00:11:17.330 --> 00:11:22.250
one thing to also consider is
the different play partners.

00:11:22.250 --> 00:11:23.083
Right?

00:11:23.083 --> 00:11:25.250
You might have youngsters
playing with each other.

00:11:25.250 --> 00:11:26.083
Peer play.

00:11:26.083 --> 00:11:28.850
We see that commonly in a
lot of different species.

00:11:28.850 --> 00:11:31.910
You may have mothers playing
with their youngsters.

00:11:31.910 --> 00:11:34.610
You know, that's seen
in a variety of species.

00:11:34.610 --> 00:11:39.610
What's more rare is fathers
playing with youngsters.

00:11:39.830 --> 00:11:43.490
We only see that in
terms of the great apes,

00:11:43.490 --> 00:11:45.980
our closest living relatives.

00:11:45.980 --> 00:11:50.243
We see that in chimpanzees
and gorillas and humans.

00:11:59.450 --> 00:12:03.410
We're interested in this
play relationship

00:12:03.410 --> 00:12:06.770
between the silverbacks
and the youngsters

00:12:06.770 --> 00:12:09.554
and how that can play an important role

00:12:09.554 --> 00:12:12.323
in their social competency later on.

00:12:13.250 --> 00:12:17.450
We are so focused in human
society on the role of fathers

00:12:17.450 --> 00:12:21.080
in providing resources
or providing connections,

00:12:21.080 --> 00:12:23.960
or, you know, bringing home the bacon.

00:12:23.960 --> 00:12:28.415
Perhaps the critical additional
piece to human fathering

00:12:28.415 --> 00:12:31.370
is playing with the kids,

00:12:31.370 --> 00:12:33.950
doing especially this
rough-and-tumble play,

00:12:33.950 --> 00:12:38.123
teaching social competency
through emotional regulation.

00:12:45.260 --> 00:12:47.510
That could be an important
piece that is added

00:12:47.510 --> 00:12:51.051
into our understanding of
the importance of fathers

00:12:51.051 --> 00:12:54.863
and how it results in positive
outcomes with your children.

00:12:56.531 --> 00:12:59.198
[indistinct chatter and splashing]

00:13:06.860 --> 00:13:08.780
- Parents can encourage kids to play

00:13:08.780 --> 00:13:13.043
by giving them supportive
environments to play.

00:13:14.149 --> 00:13:17.452
[group laughing]

00:13:17.452 --> 00:13:20.270
I mean, some of these places
have these play dates,

00:13:20.270 --> 00:13:22.220
but it's regimented.

00:13:22.220 --> 00:13:24.980
You know, play with
balls in certain ways,

00:13:24.980 --> 00:13:27.140
sing songs in certain ways.

00:13:27.140 --> 00:13:29.240
That's not play, those are games.

00:13:29.240 --> 00:13:31.292
- When I say "play" I'm referring to

00:13:31.292 --> 00:13:35.060
child-initiated creative
free-play opportunities.

00:13:35.060 --> 00:13:37.580
Not the type of play that's structured

00:13:37.580 --> 00:13:39.500
or guided by the adults,

00:13:39.500 --> 00:13:41.330
the type of play that allows children

00:13:41.330 --> 00:13:45.290
to reach into themselves
and create scenarios.

00:13:45.290 --> 00:13:48.003
And it's how they learn.
It's how they grow.

00:14:15.560 --> 00:14:17.930
In their play, they're taking risks.

00:14:17.930 --> 00:14:21.860
They're learning about
sympathy and antipathy.

00:14:21.860 --> 00:14:23.900
They're learning how to
relate to one another

00:14:23.900 --> 00:14:25.820
and how to share.

00:14:25.820 --> 00:14:30.263
So their social-emotional
capacities are being developed,

00:14:31.513 --> 00:14:36.513
but also the seeds of morality
are being put into place.

00:14:36.770 --> 00:14:40.585
I mean, children are really
learning from one another

00:14:40.585 --> 00:14:43.550
how to be respectful.

00:14:43.550 --> 00:14:46.310
- You learn social cues

00:14:46.310 --> 00:14:50.390
from either looking at their
faces or their body moving,

00:14:50.390 --> 00:14:52.657
or even just to learn to behave,

00:14:52.657 --> 00:14:54.331
like waiting your turn.

00:14:56.450 --> 00:14:58.100
- Listen, could you move, please?

00:15:01.580 --> 00:15:02.873
- I can get over.

00:15:04.744 --> 00:15:07.661
[indistinct chatter]

00:15:11.540 --> 00:15:12.373
- My turn.

00:15:14.673 --> 00:15:17.180
- I was trying to figure
out some grand theory

00:15:17.180 --> 00:15:19.805
about the evolution and
development of play,

00:15:19.805 --> 00:15:23.333
and I came up with this
concept called "wild justice",

00:15:23.333 --> 00:15:25.525
which basically argues that play is

00:15:25.525 --> 00:15:28.010
very important in moral development,

00:15:28.010 --> 00:15:30.893
animals learning what's
right and what's wrong.

00:15:33.830 --> 00:15:34.970
And over the years,

00:15:34.970 --> 00:15:37.760
the data are supporting the
fact that play is important.

00:15:37.760 --> 00:15:40.360
And that would be part of
the socialization process.

00:15:43.700 --> 00:15:46.580
We're animals, and we
evolve from other animals.

00:15:46.580 --> 00:15:48.500
So if you can find patterns

00:15:48.500 --> 00:15:51.470
that are similar in other
animals, you have a good feeling

00:15:51.470 --> 00:15:53.780
for maybe the roots of moral behavior,

00:15:53.780 --> 00:15:55.850
the roots of fair play.

00:15:55.850 --> 00:15:57.530
The animals who don't play a lot,

00:15:57.530 --> 00:15:59.810
don't bond with
litter mates, for example,

00:15:59.810 --> 00:16:02.690
or with their families, and
they tend to leave their group,

00:16:02.690 --> 00:16:05.090
and they tend to
suffer higher mortality.

00:16:05.090 --> 00:16:08.870
The same thing happens with
animals who don't play fair.

00:16:08.870 --> 00:16:12.170
- So you have these antisocial
kids, these pathological kids

00:16:12.170 --> 00:16:14.330
who can't distinguish aggression

00:16:14.330 --> 00:16:17.983
from rough-and-tumble play, for example.

00:16:17.983 --> 00:16:20.990
These kids need close adult supervision

00:16:20.990 --> 00:16:22.640
and close adult scrutiny.

00:16:22.640 --> 00:16:23.780
But for normal kids,

00:16:23.780 --> 00:16:26.900
I think what you want to
do is get out of the way.

00:16:26.900 --> 00:16:28.610
- We have a diagnosis now

00:16:28.610 --> 00:16:32.542
called Attention Deficit
Hyperactivity Disorders.

00:16:33.659 --> 00:16:35.340
That is a very serious problem

00:16:35.340 --> 00:16:39.648
because these kids are not
all that well socialized,

00:16:40.598 --> 00:16:43.910
and they act out in class a lot.

00:16:43.910 --> 00:16:46.730
So one possibility is that, you know,

00:16:46.730 --> 00:16:48.590
that's just biological,

00:16:48.590 --> 00:16:51.920
but it could also be
environmentally induced.

00:16:51.920 --> 00:16:55.190
So we deprived young rats of play,

00:16:55.190 --> 00:16:58.070
and they show symptoms of ADHD.

00:16:58.070 --> 00:17:00.290
If you don't have enough early play,

00:17:00.290 --> 00:17:03.983
you don't develop a
well-regulated nervous system.

00:17:05.960 --> 00:17:07.668
- [Brenda] So many children now

00:17:07.668 --> 00:17:09.893
are not outside enough playing

00:17:09.893 --> 00:17:11.960
that they're noticing depression,

00:17:11.960 --> 00:17:14.513
health problems, and obesity.

00:17:17.120 --> 00:17:17.960
- Ten years ago,

00:17:17.960 --> 00:17:21.080
the American Academy of
Pediatrics had some guidelines

00:17:21.080 --> 00:17:22.880
for screen time for the parents,

00:17:22.880 --> 00:17:25.059
and the original approach was that

00:17:25.059 --> 00:17:29.150
no screen time for children
five years or younger.

00:17:29.150 --> 00:17:31.350
Of course then the pandemic occurred,

00:17:31.350 --> 00:17:32.840
and we had to change.

00:17:32.840 --> 00:17:35.242
And even the American
Academy of Pediatrics

00:17:35.242 --> 00:17:39.230
updated their suggestions
and their guidelines.

00:17:39.230 --> 00:17:41.150
Their current suggestion is

00:17:41.150 --> 00:17:43.297
for children up to three years old,

00:17:43.297 --> 00:17:45.260
it's okay to have some media

00:17:45.260 --> 00:17:47.810
but as long as they are
accompanied by an adult.

00:17:47.810 --> 00:17:49.700
And of course, limiting the time.

00:17:49.700 --> 00:17:52.088
The child by itself

00:17:52.088 --> 00:17:54.680
probably won't learn
anything from the media,

00:17:54.680 --> 00:17:56.810
but a parent can support that learning.

00:17:56.810 --> 00:18:00.410
When we allow our children
to have too much screen time,

00:18:00.410 --> 00:18:03.500
we are depriving them
of a natural process

00:18:03.500 --> 00:18:07.280
of developing other skills,

00:18:07.280 --> 00:18:09.263
other strategies that are needed.

00:18:12.140 --> 00:18:16.072
- And we don't realize how when
we don't allow kids to play,

00:18:16.072 --> 00:18:17.090
we break their spirit.

00:18:17.090 --> 00:18:17.956
And the slogan is,

00:18:17.956 --> 00:18:20.848
"Better a broken bone
than a broken spirit."

00:18:25.340 --> 00:18:28.340
- Humans are the most playful species.

00:18:28.340 --> 00:18:29.930
They play as youngsters,

00:18:29.930 --> 00:18:32.101
they play when they're juveniles,

00:18:32.101 --> 00:18:34.130
fathers play with their kids,

00:18:34.130 --> 00:18:36.560
and they continue to
play into adulthood.

00:18:36.560 --> 00:18:41.082
So, play is really central
to the human condition.

00:18:46.580 --> 00:18:49.370
- And I think of play
among fellow creatures

00:18:49.370 --> 00:18:51.020
as the final frontier,

00:18:51.020 --> 00:18:54.080
because it's where the
imagination is involved,

00:18:54.080 --> 00:18:58.523
and the imagination is where
we advance our species.

00:19:02.101 --> 00:19:04.340
- You know, I think once we recognize

00:19:04.340 --> 00:19:08.000
that, you know, there are other animals

00:19:08.000 --> 00:19:13.000
and they are spiritual
creatures as much as we are,

00:19:13.670 --> 00:19:18.640
we might develop a very
different culture of interaction.

00:19:54.874 --> 00:19:55.816
- It's the spirituality,

00:19:55.816 --> 00:19:59.032
it's the spontaneity of play.

00:19:59.032 --> 00:19:59.990
It's the lightness.

00:19:59.990 --> 00:20:02.630
It's like you can just laugh at yourself

00:20:02.630 --> 00:20:04.967
and not take yourself so seriously.

00:20:06.723 --> 00:20:09.806
[dog barking]

00:20:22.882 --> 00:20:25.882
[children laughing]

00:20:31.479 --> 00:20:36.146
[singer vocalizing]

00:21:00.465 --> 00:21:05.132
[singer vocalizing]