About Mildred Parten Newhall

Mildred Parten Newhall (August 4, 1902 – May 26, 1970) was a distinguished American sociologist whose pioneering research on child development reshaped the understanding of social behavior in early childhood. She was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and pursued her academic journey at the University of Minnesota. She earned her PhD in 1929 with a dissertation titled An Analysis of Social Participation, Leadership, and Other Factors in Preschool Play Groups.

This work introduced her now-iconic theory of the six stages of play—unoccupied, solitary, onlooker, parallel, associative, and cooperative—based on observations of preschool children aged 2 to 5 during one-minute free play sessions at the University’s Institute of Child Development. Her findings illuminated how play reflects and fosters children’s social and cognitive growth, establishing a framework still widely used by educators and psychologists today.

Parten’s career extended beyond her initial research, reflecting her versatility and influence across multiple institutions. After her doctorate, she pursued postdoctoral studies at the London School of Economics (circa 1929–1930). Then she joined the Yale Institute of Human Relations from 1930 to 1936, where she continued exploring social development. In 1932, she published her seminal article, “Social Participation among Preschool Children,” in the Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, refining her play stages and cementing her scholarly reputation.

Later, she served as director of statistics for the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (1936–1939) and as a research associate at the University of Rochester (1949–1956), where she collaborated with her husband, Sidney M. Newhall, a color perception researcher at Eastman Kodak. Her methodological rigor—combining direct observation with statistical analysis—set a high standard for developmental studies and influenced fields beyond sociology, including education and labor statistics.

Parten’s academic and practical legacy bridges theoretical insights with real-world applications. Her stages of play remain a cornerstone in early childhood education, offering a lens to assess social development and guide classroom practices. After marrying Sidney Newhall in the late 1930s, she balanced her professional pursuits with life in Rochester, New York, where her role at the University of Rochester complemented her husband’s work. Though she stepped away from full-time research after the mid-1950s, her contributions continued to resonate, earning posthumous recognition for their enduring relevance. Parten passed away on May 26, 1970, leaving behind a body of work that underscores play’s vital role in human development and showcases her as a trailblazer in interdisciplinary social science.

Stages Of Play

This PDF offers details on her stages of play:

Publications

Some of Mildred Parten Newhall’s works:

• Mildred Parten Newhall. (1929). An analysis of social participation, leadership, and other factors in preschool play groups. Retrieved from: https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/29143846.
• Mildred Parten Newhall. (1932). Social participation among preschool children. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 27(3): 243–269. doi: 10.1037/h0074524.
• Mildred Parten Newhall. (1933). Leadership among preschool children. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 27(4): 430–440. doi: 10.1037/h0073032.
• Mildred Parten Newhall. (1933). Social play among preschool children. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 28(2): 136–147. doi: 10.1037/h0073939.

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