A dynamic systems model of dyadic interaction during play of two children

Abstract

This article describes the construction and validation of a dynamic systems model of dyadic interaction, applied to a dyadic play situation between children of different sociometric statuses. The introduction addresses research on social interaction, principles of dynamic systems, and of simulation. We proceed with a discussion of our interaction model, which is inspired by the theory of Frijda (1986). The model describes the continuous interaction between concerns, drives, emotional appraisals, emotional expressions and behaviour of children during each moment of the children's play session. The empirical validation of the model focuses on group differences (averages and distributions of three types of dyads), which are based on a time-sampling of videotaped play interactions. The predictions of the model, which differ from those made on the basis of the current literature, are corroborated by our empirical data. The conclusion discusses the use of models in the explanation of social behaviour and development.