The Impact of Puppetry on Pro-Social and Anti-Social Behaviours: A Systematic Review
Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Study design: Systematic Review
Abstract: This study examines the potential benefits and barriers to the utilization of puppets within behaviour intervention of children during their pre-operational stage of development. It presents a systematic qualitative review of studies that either aim to reduce antisocial behaviour or develop pro social behaviour. Works included educational and clinical settings and development of pro social behaviours such as inclusion and sharing, and reduction of anti-social behaviour such as refusal to comply and aggressive behaviours. The literature was searched using scholarly databases, with additional articles sourced from snowball method of similar reviews. Papers were included based on specific selection criteria and multiple validity and reliability measures. The wider field of research regarding puppetry within behaviour highlighted the overlap of socio-cognitive factors with the psychological principles and concepts of modeling, shared cognition, mediation and social influence being present among studies. From the review, utilizations of puppetry differed and overlapped among studies with modeling, mediation, performance and pedagogy all being utilized to develop and/or reduce behaviours. With majority of studies predominantly exploring the development of pro social behaviour, no significant differences between processes in reduction or development of behaviour were determined. Key themes among all studies were (1) internalization and interaction, (2) direct communication, (3) indirect communication, (4) play and indirect therapy, and (5) rehearsal and imitation. Benefits highlighted were the strengthened communication and dual development of three-party relationships in the sense that facilitators and researchers gained greater insight of participants’ perspective via indirect and direct communication, and vice versa. Though all studies reported positive behavioural change, there are barriers regarding the assessment of behavioural change and determination of purpose and intent.
Source: PsyArXiv (OSF Preprints)
Authors: Kenneth Gear, Samuel Bennett
Language: English
Subfield: Clinical Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7213747559