Peer's verbal interactions specificity on cognitive development

Abstract

In the field of cognitive development, the specificity of symmetrical interactions (child/child) is of interest because such an interaction, based on equality between participants (as opposed to adult/child interaction), is assumed to give rise to co-operation (Piaget, 1932; Youniss, 1980). Co-operative interaction is supposed to introduce a functional interdependence because it promotes a motivation to be, and act, with others. But it also encourages the search for agreement on ideas and intentions, and the finding of a good solution for both participants. Nevertheless, a child's goal is not always to co-operate and peer interaction has multiple meanings (Grossen, 1994). In other respects, interaction with an (expert) adult seems to remain necessary in order to construct epistemic knowledge (Baker, Leoni, & Perret-Clermont, 1978). Thus, the consideration of interlocutory characteristics of children's exchanges is proposed. Specifically those characteristics that are likely to allow, or not allow, individual cognitive benefits. More precisely, we will discuss the characteristics of “transactive or exploratory” discourse, which is assumed to produce fresh knowledge because “the child is committed in a critical and constructive way to work on the partner's reasoning” (Bachmann, 2001, p. 2; Mercer, 1995, 2000; Teasley, 1995; Wegerif, Mercer, & Rojas-Drummond, 1999).

Keywords:

• Cognitive development
• Social interaction
• Conversation
• Interlocutory analysis
• Peer interaction

Acknowledgments

This article is based on a presentation given at the symposium “Dynamics of interlocution and cognitive development”, XIth European Conference on Developmental Psychology, Mailand, Italy, 27 – 31 August 2003.

Author's note: I would like to thank Ciarán O'Keeffe for comments on English style.