GENDER COMPOSITION AND CONFLICT IN DYADIC SOCIOCOGNITIVE INTERACTION - EFFECTS ON SPATIAL-LEARNING IN YOUNG-CHILDREN

The effects of gender and disagreements on learning during sociocognitive interaction were investigated with 33 pairs of children between 5 and 7 years of age using spatial perspective-taking tasks. Children who did not make cognitive gains during social interaction had partners who expressed multiple disagreements that were not justified or explained. Females placed with other females exhibited more unexplained disagreements than mixed-gender or all-male pairs did. Males placed with males progressed more following social interaction than mixed-gender or all-female pairs did. Theoretical implications and suggestions for future research are discussed.