Stevanne Auerbach

Auerbach uses the term "Play Quotient" or "PQ" to refer to personality traits of individuals and 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.

Auerbach was also founder and director of the San Francisco International Toy Museum which she operated from 1986 to 1990 at the Cannery overlooking San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf waterfront. This was a hands-on, children's museum where over 50,000 children learned about the history of toys, and were able to play with and test out new toys and other products. Unfortunately, the museum was forced to close due to the Loma Prieta earthquake in 1989.

Dr. Auerbach completed her undergraduate work in education and psychology at Queens College (1960), and also attended the University of Maryland between 1961-62 for courses in child study, guidance and counseling. She received her MA in special education at George Washington University (1965), and for doctoral work conducted the first cross-cultural study of parents whose children were enrolled in child care as to their expectations and needs. Her study was published by the Far West Laboratory for Educational Research and Development. She conducted her study with the help of interpreters so that parents could more easily speak in their own language including Cantonese, Spanish and Tagalog. Dr. Auerbach was awarded a Ph.D. in child development from Union Institute (1973).

In the late 1960s, she became a staff member of the U.S. Department of Education and later the Office of Economic Opportunity. At this office, she evaluated Title I programs, created The What Works Series of promising practices, and was responsible for approving the first grant to Sesame Street. She worked for Dr. James Edward Allen, Assistant Secretary for Education.

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 fifty years in the field of toys, she was named one of seven "Wonder Women 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, safety, and protection of creativity in toys within the toy industry.