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Advisor(s)
Abstract(s)
During the last three decades, developmental
research has increasingly emphasized the relevance of
peer relations in children’s socialization. However, most
studies of child development still focus upon individual
differences in social status, tacitly neglecting relational
constraints inherent in the ecology of the peer group. In
contrast, socioethological approaches have stressed that
natural groups provide a variety of distinct social roles
that may have a differential impact upon individual
growth and development. However, ethological analyses
have often been limited to aggressive relations and group
dominance structures. Comparable studies of affiliative
organization have been hampered by the paucity of models
for the study of cohesive social structure, only recently
having begun to overcome this obstacle. A potential
third dimension of preschool peer group ethology, object
use, has been relatively neglected in studies of peer relations.
However, recent research suggests that object use
is a salient and important component of the social world
of the young child. This article reviews methodology and
recent findings in the area of peer relations and discusses
the developmental implications of this work.
Description
Keywords
Social development Social ethology peer relations Social ecology Methodology
Citation
Acta Ethologica, 2, 1-11