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Abstract
The present study investigated 42 preschool children's ideas of what constitute “nice” behaviors on the part of their male and female peers, both at home and at school. Children were individually interviewed and asked to describe nice behaviors same-age peers do for others. A total of 285 distinct social behaviors were generated by the children and were independently coded into 5 categories: sharing, helping, compliance, social activity, and self-directed activity. The majority of children described nice behaviors as including participating in social activities with others, although descriptions of nice behaviors varied by peer gender and context. For example, more children perceived helping as occurring at home than at school, but sharing as occurring at school rather than at home. More children perceived girls as helping at school than boys. Moreover, they perceived same-gender peers as sharing more at school than opposite-gender peers. The findings are discussed in conjunction with previous research on school and family socialization.
We thank the school officials, parents, and preschool children for making this study possible. We appreciate Augusta Quinn for her earlier contribution to this study.
Notes
We thank the school officials, parents, and preschool children for making this study possible. We appreciate Augusta Quinn for her earlier contribution to this study.