This study examined whether children's internal representations reflect gender differences that have been found in peer interactions. The dimensions examined were (1) preferences for dyadic or group situations, (2) whether children who are friends with a given target child are likely to be friends with each other, and (3) perceptions of the probability of knowing information about friends. Participants from preschool; grades 2, 6, 8, and 10; and college (N = 278) were asked questions about typical girls and boys. Results indicate that both girls and boys (1) rate typical boys as preferring group interactions more than do typical girls, a difference present as early as preschool; (2) rate typical boys as more likely than typical girls to be friends with one another if they are friends with the same target boy or girl respectively; and (3) rate typical girls as more likely than typical boys to know certain types of information about friends. These results are consistent with the existence of internal models of social interactions that are at least partially gender specific.

The current study examined the hypothesis that group size can influence whether children display self-assertive versus self-deprecating responses to interpersonal competition, especially under stress. Twenty same-sex play-groups (N = 120) of 9- to 10-year-old children played a competitive game in groups and in dyads. Stress was induced by causing some of the children to lose the game and watch as their opponents received psychological and material rewards. Results demonstrated that both the dynamics of the game and individual reactions to stress varied consistently as a function of the social context. Individuals displayed more assertive behaviors in groups than in dyads. In contrast, individuals exhibited more self-deprecating behaviors in dyads than in groups. Given that under naturalistic conditions males are more likely than are females to interact in groups and females are more likely than are males to interact in dyads, group size provides one possible mechanism for the development of sex differences in self-assertive versus self-deprecating behaviors.

Children and adolescents between 6 and 15 years of age were asked to report on typical same-sex peers'aggressive responses to a hostile act that had occurred in dyads and groups that were either compatible or incompatible. Results demonstrated that females were expected to display the highest levels of aggression in compatible oneon-one relationships as opposed to in compatible group relationships or in incompatible relationships. Males did not differ across the type of relationship in the level of aggression that they were expected to display. The connection between investment in a relationship and aggression is considered.Until relatively recently, researchers who studied aggression generally concurred that across age levels and cultures, females were less aggressive than males (for reviews, see Brown