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An interesting study has just been released that examines whether the peer conflict strategies of preschool children are situated and, therefore, vary across different conflict situations. According to the authors, "Hypothetical conflict interviews were administered through a series of puppet shows. Participants were 178 preschool children. Results indicate that preschool children’s conflict management skills are situated in peer conflict, because their strategies are to a greater or lesser degree influenced by the opponent’s strategies. When the opponent’s conflict strategy is non-aggressive, aggressive conflict strategies are atypical and low in frequency. When the opponent behaves with physical aggression in the conflict situation, most of the subjects respond to this aggressive conflict strategy with physical aggression. The findings confirm neither a static individual view nor a situated determinism, but a situated action view in which both individuals’ cognitions and distributed cognitions interact." In plain English, this suggests that when young children are involved in conflicts with peers, they are significantly influenced by the strategies other children employ. Their own strategies are based on the specific situation in which they find themselves. In brief, young chilren are smart, adaptable, and observant. But of course you already knew that.

Thornberg, R. (2006, February). "The Situated Nature of Preschool Children’s Conflict Strategies." Educational Psychology, Vol. 26, 1, 109-12.

Contributed by Michael Kalinowski

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