The effect of cross-age interaction on socially at-risk children

Abstract

The present study examined the effect of an intervention program using cross age interaction on the peer relationships of children at risk for social problems, as well as differentiated effects related to heterogeneity of the target children. In addition, the social interaction process was investigated in order to study mechanisms which contribute to the effect of age mixture on the peer relationship.

A total of 32 older children (4.9-6.2 yrs.) and 8 younger children (3.11-4.4 yrs.) in preschool was selected from 345 children of 9 classes in 4 preschools. Of the 32 older children, 12 were aggressive rejected children, 12 were withdrawn rejected children, and 8 were average children. All 8 younger children were average children.

Except for the no treatment control group, every selected child met twice per week in the same play dyad for 3 weeks (total of six times). Sociometric measures were given both immediately and 3 weeks following intervention to evaluate the intervention effect. Social interaction was assessed through coding of social interactions occurring during the dyadic play situations.

Three repeated measures of analysis of variance were applied to children's "play with" rating scores, "best friends" nomination scores and "mutual friends" nomination scores. After the repeated measures analyses of variance were applied, Duncan post hoc analyses were performed. For the analysis of social interaction, 2 (condition) x 2 (behavioral characteristics) analyses of variance were applied to the behavioral frequencies which each dyad produced for each category. Further comparisons were made using paired t tests for the code categories which had already shown significant differences by ANOVA.

The findings from this study suggest the following conclusions: (a) the cross age interaction affected peer relationship to some degree in that at risk children, particularly aggressive rejected children, gained in "best friends" nomination scores, while the intervention using cross age interaction did not affect "play with" rating scores and "mutual friends" nomination scores, (b) social interaction with peers was influenced by both behavioral characteristics and age conditions.

The gain of "best friends" nomination for at risk children from this intervention using cross age interaction was discussed in regards to feeling of self confidence.