Abstract
I The present study aims at making clear how the leadership function of young children's groups develops, through co-operative situations created experimentally.
II Subjects and methods: Out of 10 kindergartens in Tokyo, 200 children (100 boys and 100 girls) were selected to organize 50 groups (25 of which were composed of members with I. Q. 100-110, while the rest were composed of ones with I. Q. 110-120).
Each group had 4 members-(2 boys and 2 girls), whose ages ranged 4.0-6.5 years. Five grades were set out by age, and each grade contained 10 groups.
Tasks were to crayon two kind of figures with contour only, each of them is drawn on a big whitepaper: the one is of a single object (Fig. S.), the other is of four same objects (Fig. F.).
III The results summarized:
1) The structure of “Fig. F.” inhibits the develop ment of the group, i. e. behaviors of L-type (leader-type) and F-type (follower-type) induced group stratification are few. There appeared many parallel working without leader, on the every stage of age.
2) The structure of “Fig. S.” stimulates the interactions between members and development of group functions. Behaviors of the L-F types increase with age and there were the appearance of leaders.
In “I. Q. 100-110 groups”, many L-F behaviors appear on the stage of 5. 0-5.5 years. And the leaders emerge later than on the stage of 5.5-6.0 years. On the other hand, in “I. Q. 110-120 groups”, both the emergences of L-F behaviors and leaders were six months earlier.
