Dynamics of Young Children's Socially Adaptive Resolutions of Peer Conflict

Abstract

How do young children negotiate conflicts with peers that result in mutually beneficial resolution and peaceful interaction after conflict? A few studies suggest that when children use conciliatory strategies in conflict, socially adaptive outcomes are more likely to be achieved. The present study explores the relative associations of types of children's conciliatory conflict resolution strategies (i.e., prosocial, compliance‐oriented, solution‐oriented, and verbal clarification/apology) with conflict outcomes to contribute to knowledge of the discrete behaviors that might have salience for conflict resolution training. Socially adaptive conflict outcomes were expected to strongly relate to children's resolution strategies of a prosocial nature as well as to teacher or peer interventions encouraging prosocial behavior or empathy. Sampled conflicts (N = 521) were collected through field observations of 107 ethnically/racially and socioeconomically diverse four‐ to seven‐year‐old children. Logistic regression analyses with bootstrap‐based inference suggested that children's prosocial behaviors in conflict were most strongly tied to mutually beneficial resolution and peaceful postconflict interaction, when controlling for relevant covariates. Other conciliatory strategies varied in their association with socially adaptive outcomes. The hypothesis regarding third‐party interventions encouraging prosociability or empathy could not be examined due to infrequent occurrence. Insights for future research on children's socially adaptive conflict negotiations are discussed.

Influence of Teachers’ Grouping Strategies on Children’s Peer Social Experiences in Early Elementary Classrooms

“…conflicts via negotiation, Spivak, 2016). Contrary to the positive association between separating behavioral problems and peer liking documented in Gest and Rodkin's study with first, third, and fifth grade students, separating behavioral problems did not predict changes in children's friendships or peer conflicts in our study.…”

“…Consistent with Gest and Rodkin’s (2011) findings, teachers in this study reported viewing strategies for separating students with behavior problems as more important than ability grouping or strategies for forming existing or new friendships strategies when they create seating charts or form small groups. This finding is also aligned with the conflict intervention literature showing that early childhood teachers tend to intervene in peer conflicts mainly when the conflicts escalate (Myrtil et al, unpublished); when the teachers intervene, they tend to use more cessation strategies (e.g., directly separating conflict peers) than mediation strategies (e.g., guiding students to resolve conflicts via negotiation, Spivak, 2016 ). Contrary to the positive association between separating behavioral problems and peer liking documented in Gest and Rodkin’s study with first, third, and fifth grade students, separating behavioral problems did not predict changes in children’s friendships or peer conflicts in our study.…”

“…Children’s behavioral problems have been noted as one of the prominent factors that disrupt classroom learning and instruction in early childhood classrooms ( Rimm-Kaufman et al, 2000 ; Gutman et al, 2003 ). Findings have been mixed regarding whether managing children’s behavioral problems (e.g., fights, quarrel, and aggression) can have a positive influence on children’s social development ( Singer and Hännikäinen, 2002 ; Spivak, 2016 ). For instance, Gest and Rodkin (2011) showed that teachers who placed strong emphasis toward separating children with behavioral problems had students who expressed a stronger liking to each other and reported denser friendship networks.…”

Tomasello's tin man of moral obligation needs a heart

“…Thus, while we grant that cooperation plays a fundamental role in moral development, young children also disagree with parents, peers, and siblings about which clothes they should wear, who owns which toy, and whether it is okay to hit back (Dahl 2014;Nucci & Weber 1995;Ross et al 2014;Smetana et al 2012;Wainryb et al 2005). The dynamics of young children's resolutions to peer conflict reveal that prosocial behaviors during conflict are related to peaceful post-conflict interactions, indicating that cooperation often stems from interpersonal conflict (Spivak 2016).…”

The moral obligations of conflict and resistance

“…Thus, while we grant that cooperation plays a fundamental role in moral development, young children also disagree with parents, peers, and siblings about which clothes they should wear, who owns which toy, and whether it is okay to hit back (Dahl 2014; Nucci & Weber 1995; Ross et al 2014; Smetana et al 2012; Wainryb et al 2005). The dynamics of young children's resolutions to peer conflict reveal that prosocial behaviors during conflict are related to peaceful post-conflict interactions, indicating that cooperation often stems from interpersonal conflict (Spivak 2016).…”