The present paper develops a theoretical framework for the study of pretense as a symbolic system designed to serve affective functions. The first part of the paper presents a review of three theories which acknowledge the affective function of pretense and constitute the background for the theory proposed in this paper. The second part of the paper presents an affective theory to analyze children’s spontaneously generated pretend protocols. A study is then summarized as an illustration of the affective theory and directions for future research are noted.
