The theoretical literature and empirical literature relevant to cooperative behavior in children are reviewed. An attempt is made to delineate theoretical viewpoints, discuss definitions of behavior, and summarize research in terms of age, sex, cultural and subcultural variables, and social interaction. In addition, some factors influencing the learning of cooperation are discussed. Methodological problems and inconsistent findings that limit generalizations concerning the processes thought to relate to cooperative behavior in children are discussed, and suggestions are made for future research. '•The authors wish to express their warm appreciation to Jody Alesandro, Derek Green, and Lee Petersen for their cooperative assistance and a special debt to the children whom we may have observed, thought of, and think about.Requests for reprints should be sent to Harold Cook

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Game playing behavior of same and mixed sex pairs of 5-, 8-, and 11-year-old American children was compared, using a game in which cooperative behavior maximized reward. Pairs of 8- and 11-year-old children were relatively more cooperative and attained significantly more Joint Reward Goals than 5-year-old pairs. Older pairs were not maximally cooperative, however, in terms of all the dependent measures; in adjusting for initial differences on practice trials, 5-year-olds and 8-year-olds took less time than the 11-year-olds, and 11-year-old pairs of boys took significantly more time than all other pairs. In addition, cooperative behavior increased across trials, especially for the 11-year-old children.