Abstract
The development of role taking in a tag game was studied. Three play groups, each with three children, organized in each age class of 3-, 4-, 5-year-olds, were observed over four sessions by the author who participated each game in a day care center. Three aspects of children's behavior were evaluated: (a) “chasing-eluding” behaviors ; (b) role exchange ; and (c) understanding the “sphere of the game”. The results showed that in the younger subject groups, the tagger often chased the eluders only when they began to escape, and the eluders frequently ran away even after the tagger began to chase them. The chaser's chasing behavior and catching behavior often occurred independently. It is believed that the children did not really understand the rules, whereas the older subjects could understand the rules of tag and continue the game by themselves. The acquisition of role taking in pretend play as a developmental prerequisite of understanding of the rule games was discussed.
