Peer Interactions: Culture and Peer Conflict During Preschool Years

Abstract

Early peer conflict has received much research attention in developmental psychology, but cross-cultural research is still scarce. This chapter reviews some of the existing studies to explore to what degree early peer interactions during conflicts reflect cultural values. The chapter is divided into four subsections: (1) overview of the theoretical perspectives suggesting cultural differences in early peer conflict, (2) methodological issues that somewhat limit the comparability of cross-cultural studies, (3) cultural similarities and differences in preschool children’s conflicts and their managements, and (4) main conclusions and future directions. The reviewed studies show that early peer interactions during conflicts do reflect dominant cultural values. Cultural differences in the way children resolve conflicts with peers tend to be most emphasized. More specifically, cultural values shape the way children balance autonomy and relatedness during peer conflicts. These differences are observable as early as among 3-year-old children. There is less evidence about cultural differences in other aspects of preschool children’s peer conflicts. More research is needed to examine cultural differences in outcomes of conflicts, their intensity, reconciliation, third-party interventions, and in preschool children’s perceptions of conflicts.