GREATER PREFERENCE AMONG FEMALES THAN MALES FOR DYADIC INTERACTION IN EARLY-CHILDHOOD

The present study was designed to examine sex differences in children's preferences for dyadic and group interaction in early childhood. In Study 1, a professional puppeteer interacted with 21 females and 20 males 4 and 5 years of age using 1 (dyad) and 3 (group) puppets in a within-subjects design. Enjoyment of the 2 conditions was assessed through frequency of smiling and eye contact. In addition, sociometric techniques were used to measure the size of children's play networks, and observations of naturally occurring dyadic and group interaction were conducted. Study 2 was a replication of the puppet play procedure used in Study 1 with 38 females and 37 males 3 and 4 years of age. In both studies, females were found to enjoy dyadic interaction more than males. In addition, some evidence suggests that males may enjoy group interaction more than females. Results are discussed in terms of theoretical explanations for sex differences in preferences for interaction with differing numbers of peers.