Gender comparisons of young children's social interaction in cooperative play activity

Pairs of 5 and 6 year old children working in same gender and mixed gender dyads on two activities were compared for five coded discourse styles. Subjects' interaction strategies during both activities were coded and data were analyzed to assess the role of gender, level of activity interest, and gender composition of the dyad on characteristics of the interaction. The findings support the central hypothesis of the study, that differences in the use of aggravated behavior in interaction style by boys and girls is strongly influenced by the nature of the activity being performed and by the gender of their interacting partner.This work was submitted to the Graduate Faculty in Educational Psychology in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, The City University of New York. The author wishes to express her deepest appreciation to the members of her committee, under whose guidance and generous encouragement this study was conducted: Dr. Sue R. Zalk and Dr. David Bearison.