The Relationships between Human Interactions and Factors of GroupBehaviors in Young Children

Abstract

The present study investigated factors of young children's group behaviors in relation to human interactions. Subjects were 35 five-, and 38 four-year-old children. The behaviors to groups were investigated by means of a quetionnaire, and measured by homeroom teachers. They were classified into the self-centeredness, the leadership, and the cooperation by the factor analysis. Human interactions were investigated by the survey interviewing that the interviewer asked each child the names of friends whom he/she wanted to play with. Their status groups were classfied into the H-group, M-group, or L-group according to "the mean point ±1/2 standard deviation" . The following significant results were obtained. Boys of the H-group took the leadership more actively and were more cooperative than boys in the L-group. On the other hand, girls belonging to H-, M-, or L-groups didn't take the leadership, but they were cooperative generally. The above results suggested that boys should take a leadership and be cooperative, in order to develop human interactions.