Gender, gender relations, and the social dynamics of children's conversations.
The authors investigated the effects of gender on the social dynamics and outcomes of conversations involving 120 children (mean age = 8 years 7 months). Children were taught particular values for different shaped counters and placed in same-gender or mixed-gender pairs with children who were taught different values. Pairs were asked to add the counters together to make a total of 100. Conversations were coded in terms of communication acts and simultaneous speech acts. Boys used more controlling acts overall and more negative interruptions in mixed-gender pairs. Girls used more affiliating acts. All children used more collaborative communication in same-gender pairings. Children whose perspective dominated used more controlling and comparatively fewer affiliating acts. When children reached a compromise, conversations were more collaborative.
Leman
Patrick J
PJ
Department of Psychology, Royal Holloway University of London, Surrey TW20 0EX, UK. Patrick.Leman@rhul.ac.uk
Ahmed
Shahina
S
Ozarow
Louise
L
D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005783:Gender Identity; D006801:Humans; D007802:Language; D008297:Male; D010565:Persuasive Communication; D011340:Problem Solving; D012919:Social Behavior