Document Type

Article

Publication Date

11-3-2022

Publication Title

PLOS One

Volume

17

Issue

11

Abstract

Very little is known about the role of early interactions in the development of peer relationships among toddlers. The present study examined whether behaviors early in the formation of toddler relationships predict interactions later in their relationships. Twenty-eight unfamiliar 20- and 30-month-old toddlers from a predominately European background met separately with each of two other toddlers for 18 playdates. Both positive and negative behaviors at the beginning of the relationship predicted a higher frequency of games later in the relationship. Positive behaviors at the beginning of the relationship predicted fewer conflicts later in the relationship. Negative behaviors at the beginning predicted more conflicts later in the relationship. These findings suggest that toddlers’ behaviors, when they initially meet, underlie the pathway in which their relationship develops.

Comments

This is an open access article licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution license. DOI https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0276932

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

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