Behavioral Confirmation in Children's Interactions with Peers

This study explored the hypothesis that behavioral confirmation can occur in peer interaction as a result of children's stereotype-based expectancies about non-agemate peers. Pairs of second and fourth-grade children played a decision-making game. Before the game, one child was led to believe that his or her partner was either 2 years younger or 2 years older than himself or herself. All children varied their behavior as a function of their partners. When girls interacted with a "younger" peer they controlled the interaction, but exerted little control when interacting with an "older" peer. Boys varied their behavior as a function of their partner's label, but not in the same manner as did girls. Following the interaction, children chose easier games to play than girls who were labelled as older, suggesting that the expectations of the other child was internalized. Results are discussed in terms of the influence that expectations have on children's interactions with peers.