Stevanne Auerbach

Stevanne Auerbach
Stevanne Auerbach - a.k.a. Dr. Toy
Born	Queens, New York
Occupation	Author, child development specialist, educator, toyologist and speaker
Nationality	United States
Website
www.stevanneauerbach.com

Stevanne Auerbach (born September 22, 1938) also known as Dr. Toy, is an American educator, child development expert, writer and toyologist. She is best known for being an expert on as well as advocate of toys, play and the toy industry. After more than thirty years in the field of toys, she was named a Wonder Woman of Toys by 'Women In Toys' and Playthings magazine. She is a frequent guest speaker on toys and play for all ages at industry, professional, parent and public meetings. She makes several public appearances each year to promote her causes, which include building greater awareness in parents of their essential role as play tutors for their children, the educational and many other benefits of play, and to encourage the enhancement of play value and high standards of quality and safety in toys within the toy industry.

Auerbach is perhaps best known for her hypothesis regarding "Play Quotient" or "PQ." She uses the term to refer to personality traits of individuals, how this interacts with play value, a characteristic of toys, games and other playthings. Her theory is propounded in her book, Dr. Toy's Smart Play—Smart Toys: How to Select and Use the Best Toys and Games, 4th Edition released by Regent Press, and first published in 1998.

PQ is somewhat analogous to the notion of IQ - intelligence quotient or EQ - emotional quotient. PQ is a number given to identify the ability of a person to be playful based on the range from not playful to highly playful, along with creativity, spontaneity, good humor, and other attributes. She supports the research findings that a balance of play is essential for fullest development.

Products like interactive, open-ended toys, games, puzzles and other items have PV or Play Value attributes, each of which is weighted for its particular value. Dr. Toy selects those attributes that are characteristic of the product being assessed. The sum of the values of the attributes associated with the product is its PV. For example, if a product such as a specific construction toy possessed 10 attributes, each with an average weight of 7.5, its play value would be 75. As with PQ, the higher the PV the better. Products that are considered stimulators of PQ and have high PV include books, construction toys, creative products, dolls, games, puppets, puzzles, transportation toys and many others.

Interestingly, objects and products influence the PQ and stimulate playfulness. There is at least the implication of a feedback loop wherein people who play with objects that have a high play value are more likely to have a high PQ. The ability to be playful is not dependent on objects, as spontaneity, street games, improvisation and games, and other activities can and do increase personal playfulness.