Peer interaction in child care centres at 15 and 23 months: Stability and links with children's socio-emotional adjustment

• Published in: Infant behavior & development Vol. 29; no. 2; pp. 276 - 288
• Main Authors: Deynoot-Schaub, Mirjam Gevers, Riksen-Walraven, J. Marianne
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 01.04.2006; Elsevier
• Subjects: Aggression; Biological and medical sciences; Child; Child care; Child Day Care Centers - standards; Child development; Developmental psychology; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Humans; Infant; Interpersonal Relations; Longitudinal; Longitudinal Studies; Male; Newborn. Infant; Peer Group; Peer interaction; Play and Playthings; Psychology; Psychology, Child; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Social Adjustment; Socio-emotional adjustment; Toddler; Longitudinal; Peer interaction; Toddler; Aggression; Child care; Socio-emotional adjustment; Human; Affect affectivity; Parental behavior; Social perception; Peer relation; Infant; Emotion emotionality; Mother child relation; Maternal behavior; Social interaction; Follow up study; Behavior; Child
• ISSN: 0163-6383; 1879-0453; 1934-8800
• DOI: 10.1016/j.infbeh.2005.12.005

In this longitudinal study, 70 children were observed during 90 min of free play in their child care centres at 15 and 23 months of age. The children (39 boys and 31 girls) attended 51 different care groups in 39 centres. The occurrence and stability of peer interactions in the second year of life and their relations to children's socio-emotional adjustment were examined. The frequency of children's negative initiatives towards peers showed significant inter-individual stability from 15 to 23 months and predicted child aggressive/disruptive behaviour at 23 months as rated by professional caregivers in child care. Involvement in positive interactions with peers, and particularly positive responses to peer behaviours at 15 months, predicted well-being in child care at 23 months as rated by professional caregivers. The frequency of negative initiatives towards peers significantly increased and the frequency of positive responses to peer behaviours significantly decreased from 15 to 23 months.