Social Behavior as a Predictor of Adjustment Among Three-Year-Olds

Abstract

This short-term longitudinal study examined whether social behavior among 100 three-year-olds newly enrolled in nursery school would predict their adjustment. We observed social behavior in three 20-min free-play periods at the beginning of the academic year. Teachers' evaluations of emotional, social, and learning functioning assessed children's adjustment at the end of the academic year. We found observed social behavior to predict later adjustment problems. At the year's inception, children who were less adjusted at year's end tended to wander around unoccupied, to be deficient in verbally initiating and sustaining contact, and to display physical aggression. They were also more likely to display reduced positive affect and to take the role of onlookers. The present findings parallel those among older children, mainly emphasizing sociometric methods. We discuss the clinical and methodological ramifications of the results, with particular emphasis on the need to distinguish issues of isolation versus engagement but also on qualities within these broader categories.