Children's connectedness and shared meanings strategies during play with siblings and friends

Abstract

AbstractThe present longitudinal study investigated children's shared meanings strategies used to initiate, sustain, and end connectedness during play with siblings and friends from early to middle childhood. Participants included 65 4‐year‐old focal children at time 1 (T1) and 46 7‐year‐old focal children at time 2 (T2) videotaped at home in separate semi‐structured free play sessions with an older or younger sibling and a same‐aged friend at both time points. Data were coded for (a) shared meanings strategies (e.g., introductions to play, description of actions) and (b) connectedness in communication (i.e., initiating, sustaining, and ending conversation). The two sets of codes were combined to create a new blended code (e.g., introduction‐initiate). Children used several strategies consistently to initiate, sustain, and end connectedness across play sessions, but in other cases employed strategies differentially. There were a few notable relationship differences; children engaged in more prosocial behavior and employed a play voice when initiating connectedness with their friend than sibling and more clarifications when sustaining connectedness with their sibling. The findings provide nuanced and novel insights into children's shared meanings strategies during play and connectedness in child‐child relationships across time.