title: Reticent behavior and experiences in peer interactions in Chinese and Canadian children.
abstract: In this study, the authors examined relations between reticent behavior in unfamiliar peer situations and experiences in interactions in Chinese and Canadian children. Observational data were collected from samples of children at 4 years of age in the People's Republic of China and Canada. The results indicated that relations between reticent behavior and peer initiations were similar in the 2 samples. The differences between the samples were mainly in peer responses. Reticent behavior was associated with peer rejection such as overt refusal and disagreement in the Canadian sample but with positive responses such as approval in the Chinese sample, particularly when children made low-power initiations. The results suggest that reticent children in China and Canada may have similar as well as different experiences in social interactions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada. xchen@uwo.ca
authors.forename: Xinyin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Amanda T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: DeSouza
authors.forename: Huichang
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D044466:Asian People / Q000523:psychology*; D002170:Canada; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002681:China; D003220:Conflict, Psychological; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D010379:Peer Group; D012059:Rejection, Psychology; D012737:Sex Factors; D012792:Shyness; D012917:Social Adjustment; D012934:Social Isolation; D012945:Social Values; D012951:Socialization; D044465:White People / Q000523:psychology*