Effects of Friendship and Dominance Status on Preschooler's Resource Utilization in a Cooperative/Competitive Situation

Abstract

Field and laboratory methods were used to investigate the influence of dominance and friendship on behaviour in a cooperative/competitive problem-solving situation among preschool peers. Ten groups of four children each (two girls, two boys) were formed from three different preschool classes. Each group was placed in a room containing a toy movie viewer (a resource) that required the assistance of two children in order for one child to view the movie. DQminant children were able to gain access to the viewer and use the resource more than lower-ranked classmates, particularly during the first half of the session. Dominance rank, however, did not predict resource utilisation between same-sex friends. High status groups of friends used the resource more effectively and more equitably than groups composed predominantly of low ranking children or non-friends. Friendship relations rather than affiliative behaviour in the situation were associated with high resource utilisation. A mixture of quasi-agonistic and opportunistic behaviours led to high resource utilisation; agonistic behaviours were infrequent and unrelated to resource utilisation.