The Selection of Friends by Preschool Children

Abstract

The friendships of 59 ethnically diverse (African American, European American, Latino, Middle Eastern, and West African) children enrolled in Head Start classes were assessed in the spring of the school year via a peer nomination technique and a roster rating method. Two types of behavior that earlier researchers found to be predictive of how well liked a child would be were also assessed. Items from the Behar Problem Behavior Questionnaire and the Baumrind Preschool Behavior Q-Sorts were made into a checklist and prosocial behavior and assertiveness, both of which had positive and negative components, were measured twice. Children showed marked preferences for children of their own gender when selecting friends and a general preference for children who were assertive in positive ways. For boys there were some interactions of behavioral characteristics with gender. In contrast to earlier research with older children, these Head Start children did not show any preference for their own ethnic group in choosing friends.

Keywords:

• childcare/daycare
• ethnic minorities
• discrimination

Notes

∗∗p < .01, two-tailed.