AGE, PRIOR OPINIONS, AND PEER INTERACTIONS IN OPINION RESTRUCTURING

A sample of 160 6-, 8-, and 11-year-old children and adults expressed their opinion on a topic alone (pretest), jointly with a peer (test), and then alone (posttest). Opinion restructing was measured by view-change type and the addition of reasons incorporated from 6 types of peer interactions (agreements and disagreements with 3 levels of complexity). Prior opinion was examined by comparing performances for pairs holding congruous or noncongruous pretest views of the topic. Age affected the number, type, and elaboration level of pretest reasons; the complexity level of peer interactions and the type of peer interactions that led to the incorporation of reasons; and the type of view change. Prior opinion affected the likelihood of view change and the kind of reasons added. The findings are related to developmental models of peer influences on cognitive restructing and to models of persuasion and children's suggestibility in eyewitness memory.