From Egocentric to Cooperative Play in Young Children: A Normative Study

Abstract

A naturalistic observational study was made of the recorded positive peer interactions in normal nursery school children aged I to 5 years. Six stages were described and assessed in regard to their interrelations with and contributions to the child's developing object relationships. Dimensions considered to be primary referents to the child's increasing internalization of self and object representations were: (I) the degree of interest expressed in the other child; (2) the degree to which the other child was allowed to influence his partner; and (3) the child's developing ego capacities.