PRESCHOOLERS‘ PROSOCIAL BEHAVIORS AFTER PEER CONFLICT: AN
EXAMINATION OF TEACHER SOCIALIZATION, PEER HOMOPHILY AND
FRIENDSHIP
By
Barbara Thelamour

A DISSERTATION
Submitted to
Michigan State University
in partial fulfillment of the requirements
for the degree of
Educational Psychology and Educational Technology – Doctor of Philosophy
2013

ABSTRACT
PRESCHOOLERS‘ PROSOCIAL BEHAVIORS AFTER PEER CONFLICT: AN
EXAMINATION OF TEACHER SOCIALIZATION, PEER HOMOPHILY AND
FRIENDSHIP
By
Barbara Thelamour
Previous research has investigated prosocial behaviors in the context of free play among
preschool-aged children. However, few of those studies have investigated how children use these
behaviors in the context of conflict resolution. Further, none of those studies has investigated this
topic with an ethnically diverse sample or using children from low socioeconomic backgrounds.
Using a naturalistic observation research methodology, this study examined prosocial behaviors
after conflict. Specifically, this study examined the conflict outcomes after prosocial behaviors,
the role of child demographic individual demographic characteristics and dyadic homophily on
prosocial behaviors after conflict, whether friendship between formerly conflicting partners
influences the enactment of prosocial behaviors and how teacher intervention promotes prosocial
behaviors after conflict episodes. A total of 105 ethnically diverse Head Start preschoolers were
observed and interactions among the children during free play were videorecorded for 9 weeks.
Results indicated that prosocial behaviors after conflict were relatively rare. After prosocial
behaviors, preschoolers were most likely to remain together after conflict and were more likely
to reconcile than after conflict episodes with no prosocial behavior. Social networking analyses
determined that prosocial behaviors were significantly associated with teacher interventions. Sex
homophily and friendship were the second and third most salient factors in prosocial
interventions, though not significant. Overall, these findings suggest that preschoolers negotiate
their own natural conflict resolution strategies with those taught via conflict intervention.

Further, the findings provide supporting initial evidence for continual exploration of the postconflict prosociality of preschool children, particularly in those who are labeled ―at-risk‖ as well
as the factors that are related to the presence of prosocial behaviors in this population.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

An endeavor like completing a graduate program would not be possible without the support and
love of so many people. This dissertation is dedicated to:
The Most High, whose Word told me that He can do abundantly more than I can ever hope for or
dream. You kept Your promise to me.
My parents, who left the island with dreams of all that their children could accomplish in this
country. I hope that you know that your sacrifices were not in vain. All that I am is because of
you.
My family—immediate, extended, and adopted--who prayed for, encouraged, fed, housed,
laughed and cried with me when I needed it. Your support was enough to refocus me on the task
at hand.
My dissertation committee: Drs. Matthew Diemer and Ken Frank whose feedback helped me
cross the finish line. My advisor, Dr. Cary Roseth, without whose guidance from the beginning, I
would not be the scholar I am. My mentor, Dr. Deborah Johnson, for taking me under her wing
and being an example of what a successful Black woman in the psychological sciences is. I am
forever grateful for your work.
My love. You came in the nick of time. I honestly could not have completed everything I signed
up for without your muscle, intelligence and compassionate ear.
TeamBlackGrads—DQ, V, Ambuh, KayHop, Eli, Tonj, Ashley, Chris, Ali, Romie, Charles, Mel,
D… those who have graduated before and paved the way and those who will come afterwards
and keep the work going. I am proud to have you as my colleagues and friends.
And finally, the strangers out there who offered well-wishes, commented on how ―interesting‖
my dissertation topic is or simply wished me luck on my way. You did not even know me, but
you uplifted me.
Thank you.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

LIST OF TABLES

vi

LIST OF FIGURES

vii

Introduction
Prosocial Behaviors, Prosociality and Prosocial Resource Control
Types of prosocial behaviors
Sharing
Cooperation
Helping
Comfort
Empirical studies of preschoolers‘ prosocial behaviors
Experimental studies
Naturalistic observation
Prosocial Behavior in Post-Conflict Contexts
Prosocial Behavior in the Context of Interpersonal Relationships
Interpersonal relationships as a socializing system
Prosocial behavior, interpersonal relationships and conflict
resolution
Teachers
Friends
Prosocial Behavior and Child Demographic Characteristics
Age
Race/ethnicity
Sex
Peer homophily
Current Study

1
2
4
4
4
4
5
5
5
6
10
15
16

Method
Participants
Preschoolers
Teachers
Observational Procedures
Focal sampling
Event sampling
Intervention observations
Post-conflict observations
Match-control observations
Video Coding
Sociometric Nominations
Social Network Analysis
Reconciliation Analyses

26
26
26
27
27
28
28
29
29
30
31
32
32
33

19
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
25

Thematic Analysis of Teacher Intervention

34

Results
Descriptives
Types of Prosocial Behaviors
Outcomes of Prosocial Behaviors after Conflict
Attracted pairs
Time-rule
Prosocial Teacher Interventions
Proximal interventions
Distal interventions
Outcomes after intervention
The Role of Race, Ethnicity, Sex, Friendship and Intervention on Prosocial
Behaviors

34
34
35
36
37
38
38
39
41
42

Discussion
Prosocial Behavior after Conflict
Outcomes of Prosocial Behaviors after Conflict
Prosocial Teacher Interventions
The Role of Race, Ethnicity, Sex, Friendship and Intervention on Prosocial
Behaviors
Limitations and Conclusions

43
43
45
47

REFERENCES

63

vi

42

49
53

LIST OF TABLES

Table 1: Frequency of Teacher Interventions

58

Table 2: Demographic Characteristics, Homophily, Teacher Socialization, Friendship and
Prosocial Behaviors
61

vii

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1: Number of Prosocial Preschoolers by Classroom

57

Figure 2: Teacher Interventions and Preschool Prosocial Behaviors by Classroom

59

Figure 3: Teacher Interventions in Conflicts Ending in Prosocial Behaviors

60

Figure 4: Frequency of Prosocial Dyads by Racial/ethnic Homophily

62

viii

Introduction
From early on, children are encouraged to play ―nice‖ with each other, with parents and
teachers instructing children to share, help, and cooperate with each other. Adults' efforts are not
for naught, as research indicates that prosocial behaviors, or those done for the benefit of others
(Eisenberg, Guthrie, Murphy, Shepard, Cumberland & Carlo, 1999) are associated with many
positive outcomes for children, including social adjustment (Crick, 1996), school success and
lower levels of aggressive behavior (Spinrad & Eisenberg, 2009).
Unfortunately the field's understanding of prosocial behaviors is fairly limited, especially
in comparison to problem behaviors, such as aggression (Grusec, Hastings & Almas, 2011). For
preschoolers specifically, the literature primarily focuses on prosocial behaviors in play states
such as cooperative play where children are engaged in common goal-directed activity (e.g.,
Fujisawa, Kutsukake & Hasegawa, 2008; Radke Yarrow et al, 1976). This overlooks the fact that
children‘s play also involves conflict and, consequently, conflict resolution behaviors that could
affect future play. Studying prosocial behaviors during conflict resolution might provide insight
into how these behaviors may be used to end disputes. Accordingly, a primary goal of this
dissertation study was to examine the extent to which preschoolers engage in prosocial behavior
in post-conflict contexts, presumably in the service of conflict resolution and the maintenance of
positive peer relationships (Roseth, Pellegrini, Dupuis, Bohn, Hickey et al., 2011).
Within preschool classrooms, teachers and peers act as socializing agents for prosocial
behaviors (Eisenberg & Mussen, 1989), yet few studies have examined these processes in postconflict contexts. A secondary goal of this dissertation study was to examine the role of teacher
intervention and friendships in promoting prosocial behaviors after conflict.

1

Another limitation of the extant literature on preschoolers‘ prosocial behavior is that most
studies focus on White, middle-class children's free play, resulting in a gap in knowledge about
the role of social class and socioeconomic status in the underlying psychological and
developmental processes (Diemer, Mistry, Wadsworth, López & Reimers, 2012). Emergent
studies highlight the prosocial behaviors of African American Head Start preschoolers in play
contexts (e.g., Spivak & Howes, 2011), yet little research exists that examines Latino
preschoolers in the same situations. Further, neither group‘s prosocial behaviors have been
examined in the context of conflict. Given the increasing racial and ethnic diversity in the United
States as well as a broadening class divide (Grant & Sleeter, 2013), there is benefit to
investigating the prosocial behaviors and interpersonal relationships that influence such
behaviors in ethnic minority preschoolers from lower-class socioeconomic backgrounds. Thus,
final goal of this dissertation study was to further examine the role of children‘s demographic
characteristics on prosocial behaviors and post-conflict reconciliation in a diverse sample of
Head Start preschoolers.
Prosocial Behaviors, Prosociality and Prosocial Resource Control
Prosocial behavior is traditionally defined as behavior for the benefit of others. This kind
of behavior is often voluntary and intentional; hence one cannot be prosocial under duress or
accidentally (Eisenberg & Mussen, 1989). Altruism and empathy are two constructs thought to
be related to prosocial behavior. Altruism is typically defined as ―regard for, or devotion to, the
interests or welfare of others‖ (Zahn-Waxler, Cummings & Iannotti, 1986, p. 7). Implicit in this
definition is an internal motivation to do something solely for the benefit of others, and therefore
altruism is considered a motivation for prosocial behavior. Importantly, while some prosocial
behaviors are altruistic, not all are solely for the benefit of others. Prosocial behaviors can also be
2

advantageous for the actor, as evolutionary-oriented scholars have argued that doing for others
also enhances survival (McAndrew, 2002 as cited by Grusec, Hastings & Almas, 2011). Thus, a
prosocial behavior can also be performed in anticipation of reciprocation from another.
Prosocial behaviors, particularly in the form of altruism, can also rely on empathy or ―an
affective response that is identical to or very similar to what another person is feeling or is
expected to feel‖ (Spinrad & Eisenberg, 2009). Empathy develops as children‘s perspectivetaking abilities mature; children who are able to anticipate the feelings and thoughts of others are
more empathetic than those who are not. While not a necessary condition for prosocial behavior
(Zahn-Waxler, Cummings & Iannotti, 1986), empathy is often viewed an emotional component
of prosocial behaviors.
Eisenberg‘s conceptualization of prosocial behavior differs from Hawley‘s
conceptualization of prosocial resource control, which refers to reaching goals though ―socially
acceptable behavior‖ (Hawley, 2007, p. 12). In functional terms, both prosocial behavior and
prosocial resource control are thought to enhance and maintain positive relationships (Grusec,
Hastings & Almas, 2011; Hay, 1994), but prosocial resource control typically focuses on a
resource (an object or person) being commandeered by another through reciprocity (trading),
cooperation (e.g., requesting or offering help) and alliance formation (Hawley, 2003, 2007). In
this dissertation study, the focus was on the enactment of prosocial behaviors as traditionally
defined by Eisenberg (i.e., doing for others), without the added assumption regarding the
exchange of resources (cf. Hawley, 2007; Roseth et al., 2011). Having established this focus, the
next section provides an overview of how prosocial behaviors have been operationalized and
studied within the preschool literature.

3

Types of prosocial behaviors. Empirical research on prosocial behavior has been
operationalized in four ways: sharing, cooperation, helping, and providing comfort (Marcus,
1986). One criticism of this body of work is the failure of researchers to define these constructs
in congruent ways, as the type of prosocial behaviors that researchers focus on affects the units
of analysis studied (e.g., the dyad or the individual) as well as whether the behavior qualifies an
individual act or and interaction between individuals (Marcus, 1986). The following four
prosocial behaviors were examined in this dissertation.
Sharing. As an act, sharing is typically defined as ―the child gives away or allows
another use of an object that was previously in the child‘s possession‖ (Marcus, 1989, p. 270).
Sharing has also been categorized as physical or verbal (Barton & Ascione, 1979). For example,
Barton and Ascione (1979) operationalized physical sharing included as giving an object to
another child, allowing another to take an object, using material that another child used in a
given time frame or using an object to complete a mutual task (which would fit the definition of
cooperation, defined next). Verbal sharing, on the other hand, was operationalized as spoken
interactions about an object to be shared (e.g., requests, invitations, and compliance with
requests). In this study, both verbal and physical sharing were studied.
Cooperation. Another prosocial behavior under investigation was cooperation. Studies
that focus on cooperation as a prosocial behavior have an underlying conceptualization as
individuals dividing labor or play to reach a common goal. The mutual nature of the task at hand
is critical to this behavior (Dunn & Munn, 1986). As a result, prosocial behavior in the form of
cooperation requires at least two individuals and analysis should capture that interaction.
Helping. Helping is an act that consists of one child assisting another child in a number
of ways that include providing information, requesting the help from another individual, or doing
4

something that aids another child in his or her endeavors (Chadha & Misra, 2006; Iannotti,
1985). All of these helping behaviors were included in the current study of prosocial behavior.
Comfort. A number of studies have included comfort, or response to the emotional needs
(e.g., sad, angry, hurt; Strayer, 1980) of another individual as a helping behavior (e.g., Marcus,
1986). For the purposes of this study, providing comfort was coded as distinct from helping
because a prerequisite for comforting is a peer‘s negative emotional state. In previous research,
comforting behaviors in children have been linked to the development of empathic reasoning in
the child (Chapman, Zahn-Waxler, Cooperman & Iannotti, 1987).
Empirical studies of preschoolers’ prosocial behaviors. Research on the development
and enactment of prosocial behavior has taken various forms, with some focusing on individual
differences, others on preschoolers‘ rationales (e.g., moral reasoning) for being prosocial, and
still others focusing on the behaviors themselves. For preschoolers, the most frequently used
methods to investigate prosocial behavior have been experimental and naturalistic observational
studies.
Experimental studies. Much of our understanding of preschoolers‘ prosocial behavior
across cultures and development has relied on experimental research. The earliest experimental
studies often investigated the participants‘ moral reasoning behind their decisions to be prosocial
(Eisenberg, Boehnke, Schuhler & Sibereisen, 1985; Stewart & McBride-Chang, 2000), utilizing
moral reasoning categories (Eisenberg & Neal, 1979) to determine the influence of individual‘s
level of reasoning on sharing and helping tasks. For example, Eisenberg-Berg and Neal (1979)
found that preschoolers were most likely to explain their sharing and helping behaviors as being
other-oriented and pragmatic (i.e., mutually beneficial). Although this dissertation study does not

5

focus on the cognitions behind prosocial behaviors after conflict, these findings could help to
explain the motivations behind the observed prosocial behaviors.
Through experimental methodologies, researchers have also examined ethnic and cultural
differences in prosocial behavior. For instance, Asian and White second-graders in Hong Kong
were compared, with Asian children in the experimental task sharing more than their White
counterparts (Stewart & McBride-Chang, 2000). In another study, German and American
children from preschool to grade four were given a task that called for prosocial behaviors in the
form of sharing and helping (Eisenberg et al, 1985). Results showed the groups being similar in
their moral reasoning and prosocial behaviors across grades, but American preschool children
were more hedonistic, or focused more on self-gains compared to their German counterparts
(Eisenberg et al, 1985). More recently, a quasi-experimental study investigated preschoolers
from four countries on their emotional responses and helping prosocial behavior to a partner in
distress (Trommsdorff, Friedlmeier & Mayer, 2007). Results showed that the German and Israeli
preschoolers were more prosocial in the form of helping a play partner than children from
Indonesia and Malaysia. Taken together, these studies suggest that preschoolers‘ prosocial
behaviors vary across cultural groups and highlight the need to examine the construct in ethnic
minority and lower class preschoolers.
Naturalistic observation. Compared to experimental studies, naturalistic observation
studies of prosocial behavior have been relatively rare, despite a consistent call for research to
capture children in their everyday interactions with the individuals around them (e.g.,
Trommsdorff et al, 2007). This is unfortunate, of course, as naturalistic observation studies allow
for understanding of how individuals interact in real time (Pellegrini, 1996). This methodology
acknowledges that individuals‘ behaviors cannot be separated from the corresponding social and
6

physical situations. As such, naturalistic observation captures the environmental and
interpersonal contexts in which behaviors are embedded (Pellegrini, 1996).
Naturalistic observation has been used to investigate prosocial behaviors between siblings
(Dunn & Munn, 1986; Knott, Lewis & Williams, 2007; Munroe & Romney, 2006) and peers
within (Pepler, Craig & Roberts, 1981) and outside the context of the classroom (Abramovitch,
Corter, Pepler & Stanhope, 1986; Erhardt & Hindshaw, 1994; Strayer, 1980). In general,
findings suggest that toddlers‘ prosocial behaviors increase with time in both typically
developing children (Dunn & Munn, 1986) as well as children with Autism and Down‘s
syndrome (Knott, Lewis & Williams, 2007). Comparisons of sibling dyads also reveal that older
siblings are more prosocial than their younger siblings (Abramovitch et al., 1986). These
findings highlight age-related developmental changes in prosocial behavior.
Other studies have investigated toddlers and early preschoolers‘ prosocial responses to
their peers‘ displays of emotion. For example, an examination of children ages 9-27 months in
their attention to their peers‘ distress found that 11 of the 345 incidents of distress were
responded to with a prosocial behavior (Lamb & Zakhireh, 1997). Another study of older
children‘s (2-3 years of age) responses to their peers‘ emotional displays found that preschoolers
were highly likely to respond with prosocial responses to match or reinforce peers‘ emotional
displays (Denham, 1986). Although the study did not focus on prosocial behaviors after conflict,
the author did examine preschoolers‘ responses to their peers‘ angry outbursts, finding that
preschoolers were more likely to leave than provide a prosocial response. Developmentally, the
toddlers in the Denham (1986) study were just beginning to be exposed to same-aged peers. The
question remains as to whether preschool-aged children, with potentially more experience in

7

peer-play situations, would demonstrate similar behaviors to their peers‘ angry or distressed
displays during conflict.
Among studies focusing on preschoolers, the participants were mostly racially
homogeneous with only two studies focused on a non-White, non-U.S. group of preschoolers
(e.g., India: Chadha & Misra, 2006; Japan: Fujisawa et al., 2008) and only one study focused on
children of low socioeconomic status (Chadha & Misra, 2006). In this study, brief interviews
directly after sharing, helping or comforting acts were used to capture reasoning for prosocial
behaviors among children of low socioeconomic status. Interestingly, results showed that fiveyear-old preschool children were most likely to provide an authority/punishment avoidance
orientation as a reason for prosocial behaviors. Here again, while this dissertation study does not
focus on the cognitions behind post-conflict prosocial behaviors, this finding suggests that
preschoolers‘ post-confict prosocial behaviors may be associated with an avoidance cognitive
orientation.
Fujisawa et al. (2008) found that preschool children who are offered objects from or are
helped by their peers are more likely to reciprocate and that friendship positively enhanced
reciprocation. These findings inform this dissertation study in that they suggest that friendship
patterns influence prosocial behaviors. However, these findings are limited in that they were
found only in general play, and conflict in the midst of play may also have an impact on
reciprocity (and acceptance of prosocial behaviors). This study addressed this issue by
examining prosocial behaviors in the context of peer conflict. Further, these outcomes might not
translate to the United States (i.e., U.S. children might not reciprocate prosocial behaviors in
naturalistic settings).

8

While both of the international studies (i.e., Chadha & Misra, 2006; Fujisawa et al., 2008)
provide insight into diverse ethnic samples, several limitations should be noted. First, both
studies focused on ethnically homogeneous preschoolers, as was the case in the U.S. studies.
This dissertation study therefore added to this literature by exploring the prosocial behaviors of a
racially diverse group of preschoolers. This is particularly important for the study of Black and
Latino preschoolers because culture could be a key influence on prosocial behaviors. For
example, a concept often studied in Latino families is familismo, or the ―caring foremost for the
welfare of the family‖ (Esparza & Sánchez, 2008, p. 193). Familismo might be a mechanism
through which prosocial behaviors are learned by providing Latino children with a structure
within which to be prosocial within the family. This and similar cultural facets could be
influential on the prosocial behaviors demonstrated in the classroom by Black and Latino
preschoolers.
Additionally, the way the two studies defined prosocial behaviors was inconsistent, and
the range of prosocial behaviors were not exhaustive. For example, Fujisawa et al.'s (2008)
concept of "object sharing" was conceptualized as "sharing" in Chadha and Mishra's study, and
neither study explicitly examined cooperation as a unique prosocial behavior, instead combining
it with 'help' behaviors. This inconsistent conceptualization highlights a need to code observed
prosocial behaviors using categories more consistent with the prosocial behavior literature as a
lack of consistency may influence the validity of the construct. Even though the types of
prosocial behaviors were not examined separately, this consistency issue is especially relevant to
this dissertation as it extended the documentation of prosocial behaviors to post-conflict
contexts.

9

Prosocial Behavior in Post-conflict Contexts
Since prosocial behavior is a deliberate act, it follows logically that individuals may use
these behaviors towards a variety goals. For example, prosocial behaviors may be used to resolve
conflict between individuals, repairing potential harm caused by conflict so as to maintain
positive peer relationships. Conflict is often conceptualized as ―incompatible behaviors or goals‖
between individuals (Shantz, 1987, p. 284). Individuals enter conflict with those they live in
groups with and interact with (Aureli & de Waal, 2000). Although conflict might be viewed as a
negative event, existing research has shown that conflicts also have positive effects on children‘s
development (e.g., Killen & de Waal, 2000; Verbeek, Hartup, & Collins, 2000). For instance,
conflict events provide opportunities for children to learn how to negotiate with others and their
environments (Shantz, 1987). Such events could also promote children‘s social cognition
development as well as social competence (Rubin & Rose-Krasnor, 1992).
Conflictual events are common in interpersonal relationships, with children having
conflict with their siblings and peers. For peers, the equal status of the conflicting dyad offers a
unique opportunity for children to resolve conflict and develop morally (Killen & de Waal,
2000). Through the resolution of conflict, children have opportunities to learn how to negotiate
relationships with peers while balancing autonomy needs (Ladd, 2005). The positive benefits of
conflict and conflict resolution to child development has been well-documented. Thus, prosocial
behaviors within conflict contexts may be a tool with which preschoolers resolve conflict and
maintain positive relationships with their peers.
There are a number of outcomes that can result after a conflictual bout. For instance,
peers can disengage, turn away (Laursen & Hartup, 1989), or reconcile. Thus, conflict resolution
in the form of reconciliation is only one way that children can learn to work together.
10

Reconciliation is defined as ―peaceful associations between formerly conflicting parties
following conflict-induced separations‖ (deWaal & Yoshihara, 1983, as cited in Roseth et al.,
2008). Reconciliation behaviors include apology, compromises and invitations to play (Fujisawa
et al., 2005). Evolutionarily, conflict reconciliation is thought to enhance a species‘ survival
(Aureli & de Waal, 2000). Similarly, in interpersonal relationships, reconciling after conflict
maintains bonds between individuals, which promotes the relationship‘s survival.
Previous naturalistic observation research using preschoolers (e.g., de Waal & Yoshihara,
1983; Pellegrini at al., 2007; Roseth et al., 2011) has used the PC-MC or attracted pairs method
to test for reconciliation between formerly conflicting individuals. The attracted pairs method
tests first, whether affiliation after conflict happens than during free play and second, whether
affiliation occurs selectively between formerly conflicting individuals. In order to test for these
outcomes, observations must be completed immediately after conflict (i.e., post-conflict or PC
observations) as well as at the same time of day but without a prior conflict event (i.e., matchcontrol or MC observation). For the purposes of this dissertation study, the attracted pairs
method will be used to test for reconciliation.
To date, only four studies have investigated the existence of prosocial behaviors in
preschoolers‘ conflict resolution, each focusing on conciliatory or affiliative prosocial behaviors
after conflict. Although prosocial behaviors are used in conciliatory efforts, the specific
behaviors under investigation differ from Eisenberg‘s conceptualizations of prosocial behavior.
Further, prosocial behaviors may not always lead to reconciliation between the members of the
conflicting dyad but can be used to terminate the conflict. For instance, in an investigation of
affiliative (prosocial) behaviors among young boys (e.g., ages 4-6), Ljungberg, Westlund and
Forsberg (1999) reported a high percentage of aggressive conflicts ending in affiliative behaviors
11

as well as a high proportion of acceptance (e.g., a nod, smile or ‗yes‘ response) of those
behaviors. After the acceptance of those prosocial behaviors, aggression and displacement from
the play situation were low in comparison to the non-acceptance of an affiliative offer. These
findings highlight the dyadic nature of conflict resolution as it involves both prosocial behavior
and the acceptance of that behavior after conflict. In their study, as well as in this dissertation
study, conflicts were analyzed on a dyadic level, or as involving two preschoolers. Polyadic
conflicts (i.e., those including three or more children) were shown to be no different qualitatively
than dyadic, and as such, were coded as separate dyads. This dissertation study advances
Ljungberg et al.‘s (1999) work by first broadening the conceptualization of conflict beyond
aggressive bouts to object conflicts (i.e., object disputes) and relational conflicts (where the
relationship between peers is threatened). By doing so, the relationship between types of
prosocial behaviors and types of conflict can be readily examined. Perhaps particular types of
conflict allow for prosocial behaviors more than others. The current study examines this
question. This dissertation study also tested the generalizability of previous findings by including
both male and female preschoolers, as Ljungberg et al. (1999) only included male preschoolers.
The second study investigated the post conflict prosocial behaviors of a mixed-sex
preschool classroom (Fujisawa, Kutsukake & Hasegawa, 2005). The authors conceptualized
conciliatory behaviors as either explicit (e.g., apologizing or offering objects) and implicit (e.g.,
proximity and being friendly). Similar to Ljungberg et al. (1999), they found a moderate
percentage of children reconciled after aggressive conflict. They also found that explicit
conciliatory behaviors were more evident in children immediately after conflict, and younger
children were more likely to use these behaviors as the aggressor than as the victim. Ironically,
perhaps, this finding suggests that aggressive children may be more likely to develop
12

conciliatory skills than non-aggressors, presumably to repair and maintain peer relationships
after agonistic interactions (Roseth et al., 2011). Further, Fujisawa et al. tested the factors that
influenced conciliatory attempts, determining that friendship and the presence of intervening
bystanders (i.e., teachers) positively influenced reconciliation attempts. This dissertation study
extends these findings in three ways. First, by utilizing Eisenberg‘s conceptualization of
prosocial behaviors (i.e., helping, cooperating, sharing and comfort), this study examines
whether preschoolers‘ employ a broad or narrow range of post-conflict prosocial behaviors.
Second, by utilizing a larger and more diverse sample than Fujisawa et al., this study also tests
the generalizability of previous findings. Third, this study also advances understanding of the
role of teacher intervention beyond the presence or absence of intervention by coding how
exactly teachers facilitated prosocial behaviors after conflict. Additional details about teacher
intervention are provided below.
The third study, conducted in the United States, also focused on the role of post-conflict
conciliatory behaviors in predominately White, middle to upper class preschoolers‘ (ages 32-71
months) peaceful associations after conflict (Verbeek & de Waal, 1996). Conciliatory
termination behaviors (e.g., apology, cooperative proposition, and offer of valuable possession)
were observed between friends and nonfriends (as determined by time spent in social play) in
two contexts (classroom and playground). Similar to previous findings, the authors found that
conciliatory behaviors were more likely to end in together outcomes, regardless of the context of
the conflict. Further, friends stayed together more than nonfriends but were not more likely to
reunite after conflict. As with Fujisawa et al.‘s study, this dissertation study advances Verbeek
and de Waal‘s findings by using Eisenberg‘s prosocial behaviors during conflict resolution as
well as examining a more ethnically diverse sample.
13

The final study investigated reconciliation among preschool children (ages 29-60 months)
after coercive conflict bouts (Roseth et al., 2011). Attention was paid to reconciliation as a
strategy to compensate for coercive resource control attempts. The role of friendship on
reconciliation was also examined. Roseth et al. (2011) found that 42% of conflicts reconciled
after initial separation and that neutral associates (i.e., peers who did not mutually nominate each
other as friends) were more likely to reconcile than friends. This dissertation advances Roseth et
al.‘s (2011) findings by examining specific prosocial behaviors after conflict bouts that promote
reconciliation as well as those that end conflict with together outcomes. Further, while Roseth et
al. (2011) investigated the role of friendship on reconciliation, this dissertation study also
examines the role of demographic characteristics on these outcomes. Finally, this dissertation
study includes the role of teachers in reconciliation, a limitation that Roseth et al. discussed in
their work.
To summarize, the literature on prosocial behavior highlights the various contexts and
situations in which prosocial behaviors are manifested. Naturalistic observation methods also
take different types of interpersonal relationships into consideration, including relationships with
teachers and peers within the preschool classroom. These interpersonal relationships are likely to
influence preschoolers‘ prosocial behavior within and outside the context of conflict, yet no
previous studies have examined prosocial behavior in post-conflict contexts, nor has there been a
consideration of the explicit role of teacher intervention in the socialization prosocial behaviors
after conflict. Further, this dissertation study used social network analysis, which is a
contribution to the literature in that none of the previous studies examined prosocial behaviors as
part of a larger classroom organization. In the next section, a systems view of socialization is

14

introduced to help understand the way peer and teacher relationships may influence prosocial
behavior.
Prosocial Behaviors in the Context of Interpersonal Relationships
Research drawing upon a systems framework acknowledges that individuals, behaviors,
contexts, and relationships are ―units composed of sets of interrelated parts that act in organized,
interdependent ways to promote the adaptation or the survival of the whole unit‖ (Pianta, 1999,
p. 24). This perspective acknowledges that people are nested in several relationships and
environments that interact with each other to influence the individual. Ecologically, proximal
environments are embedded in larger cultural and societal structures, called macrosystems
(Bronfenbrenner, 1994) that all influence and individual and interpersonal relationships therein.
Given the multiple parts of a system, a systems theory explains how the parts relate to
each other. First, any outcome within the system is multicausal in that multiple parts coordinate
(Smith & Thelen, 2003). However, the parts of the system are self-organized in that no particular
part is more important or causes certain outcomes over others and that no external influence
controls the system (Schaffer, 2008). Systems have been conceptualized as various types. Similar
to Bronfenbrenner‘s ecological model, the various contexts highlight proximal and distal
influences on the individual from the broader societal context to the biological aspects that
influence the individual.
One environment that can be understood as a system is the preschool classroom. Within
that environment, every part—i.e., the individuals (children and teachers), the interpersonal
relationships among the members, the setting of the room and the larger school and community
contexts—influences the other. Thus, just as there exist social codes within families and larger
society that regulate behavior (Sameroff, 1989), within the preschool classroom, there are codes
15

that the members therein abide by. Such codes include practices such as discipline, play, and
instruction (Pianta, 1999) which influence the child so as to form participating members in the
classroom system (i.e., socialize children).
Interpersonal relationships as a socializing system. The interpersonal relationships
within a classroom represent the most proximal system to the child. Interpersonal relationships
are influenced by the interactions between individuals (Rubin, Bukowski & Parker, 2006). Peers,
for example, behave differently within relationships than with less familiar peers (Rubin et al.,
2006). Research has indicated that stronger interpersonal relationships between preschoolers are
related to increased conflict (Laursen & Hartup, 1989). Interpersonal relationships also include
―perceptions, fears, expectations…that each has about each other and the future course of the
relationship‖ (Hinde & Stevenson-Hinde, 1987, p. 2). As a history of interactions, relationships
take the past interactive occasions of the individuals as well as anticipations for the future. For
the purposes of this dissertation, relationships were conceptualized as dyadic (i.e., consisting of
two people). In the preschool classroom, relationships exist within a child‘s networks of other
interpersonal relationships with teachers and peers.
Like the larger classroom system, interpersonal relationships include microregulations
that are brief instances of interactions between the members of the dyad (Sameroff, 1989). These
microregulations promote or decrease certain behaviors in the classroom and are enacted in the
interactions between individuals. It is through these microregulations that socialization occurs. In
terms of prosocial behavior, the goal is that students internalize these behaviors in order to fit the
environment through interactions with both teachers and peers. A goal of socialization is that
children internalize ―norms and values from which they take their rules, standards and beliefs

16

about appropriate conduct and attitudes‖ (Turner, 1987, as cited by Harris, 1995, p. 466). Those
norms then influence future behaviors, thoughts and attitudes.
Within the classroom, teachers and peers operate differently as socialization agents of the
individual child. As adults, teachers act as models for prosocial behavior and, in their role as
head of the classroom, promote prosocial behaviors through education, discipline and nurturance
(Zahn-Waxler & Smith, 1992). In many ways, teachers resemble parents in their prosocial
socialization efforts; the warmth and high status of the teacher (Grusec, Hastings & Almas, 2011;
Hastings, Utendale & Sullivan, 2007). Less research exists on teacher prosocial socialization
efforts than parental socialization. In fact, only one study has examined the socialization of
prosocial behavior in the form of feedback after girls‘ prosocial behaviors, indicating that
teachers provided little positive feedback (Eisenberg, Cameron, Tryon & Dodez, 1981). One
explanation for the low feedback could be the teacher‘s physical distance from the child. This
study continues to examine how teachers promote prosocial behaviors explicitly and
concomitantly.
More research exists on peers as socializing agents. Social interactions between children
differ from those with teachers and other adults because of in peer groups, children have
relatively equal status. As a result, they are more likely to be both a ‗doer‘ and a beneficiary of
prosocial behaviors, instead of solely the recipient (Grusec, Davidnov & Lundell, 2002).
Children‘s peer groups are important for socialization because through them, children adopt peer
groups norms due to identification with those similar to them in terms of age (Harris, 1998). The
power of peer socialization has been investigated in unacceptable behavior in adolescents (Shi &
Xie, 2011) which often results in parents‘ wishes to offset the negative influences peers can have
on behavior. However, peers can have positive influences on children‘s prosocial behaviors as
17

well, fostering acceptable behaviors in various contexts. In order to encourage prosocial
behaviors, preschool peers can reinforce with praise, reciprocation, verbal approval or prolonged
interactions with the benefactor (Eisenberg, Cameron, Tryon & Dodez, 1981). Verbal and
nonverbal requests can be means of socializing peers to prosocial behavior. Peers can also model
others‘ prosocial behaviors and produce their own based on their observations (Grusec, Hastings
& Almas, 2011).
Interpersonal relationships are a broad framework to understand how peers are connected
to each other. One specific relationship would be friendship, which is often characterized by
attraction ―to someone in return with parity governing the social exchanges between the
individuals involved‖ (Hartup & Stevens, 1997). Friendships are shaped by bilateral bonds
between individuals (Ladd, 2005). Having friends requires that a person has particular social
skills that allow him or her to adjust. In preschool, friendships help children develop the social
skills that influence future friendships (Howes, 1983).
Studies examining preschool dyadic friendships have operationalized the friendship
concept in numerous ways. For example, Howes (1983) defined friendships in terms of affective
connections between individuals that are identified by positive exchanges and a high probability
of interactions. Friendships among preschoolers have been defined in terms of frequent play
interactions (Ladd, 2005) as well as mutual sociometric nominations, whereby children indicate
those with whom they like to interact (Sebanc, 2003). This dissertation will examine friendships
in terms of sociometric nominations. Because of the increased salience of friendship as a
relationship, they might influence prosociality within the dyad. In other words, it is possible that
friendships influence prosocial behaviors beyond simple peer interactions. In regular play,

18

however, these questions have not been addressed using naturalistic observations in preschool
children.
Prosocial behavior, interpersonal relationships and conflict resolution. Conflict
resolution provides an additional context for prosocial behaviors to manifest. Within
interpersonal interactions and relationships, there are opportunities for the socialization of
prosocial behaviors.
Teachers. In the event of conflict, teachers can often intervene in order to end the conflict
event as well as to promote particular social skills, including prosocial behaviors. Teachers have
been shown to scaffold their toddler students through the termination of a conflict by using a
number of strategies (e.g., providing feedback for children‘s behavior and articulating reasons
for certain behaviors; Bayer, Whaley & May, 1995). Their qualitative study showed that teachers
intervened in approximately half of the conflict disputes. However, the study did not examine the
outcomes of those interventions. This study examined the effects of teacher intervention on
conflict resolution.
The role of teacher reinforcement and induction on prosocial behaviors in Head Start
preschool classrooms have been examined using an experimental design (Ramaswamy & Bergin,
2009). The study of 98 Head Start (mostly African American) children found that, over time and
with reinforcement, prosocial behaviors in the form of affection, helping, cooperating, sharing
and comforting increased in classrooms more than solely inducing prosocial behaviors. Affection
was the most frequent prosocial behavior. However, they did not focus on prosocial behaviors in
the context of conflict. The present dissertation study addressed this limitation by focusing on
post-conflict prosocial behaviors in a naturalistic setting.

19

In studies capturing conflictual events, preschool children have been found to be more
likely to separate than stay together after teacher intervention (Roseth et al., 2008). For example,
Roseth et al. (2008) differentiated between direct (i.e., stopping the conflict or telling children to
stop) and indirect (assisting the children in ending conflict) interventions, however, results did
not highlight the rates of direct and indirect interventions. Perhaps interventions whereby
teachers promoted prosocial behaviors would be more successful in producing together
outcomes. Further, the sample of Head Start teachers and preschoolers in the current study might
elicit different outcomes than a racially homogenous university preschool setting such as that
used by Roseth et al. Finally, this study‘s use of videos to capture conflict allowed for influence
attempts and relational conflict instead of relying on live-coding to capture aggressive bouts.
Friends. Since the purpose of reconciliation is to preserve the relationship (Aureli & de
Waal, 2000), even in preschool children (Westlund, Horowitz, Jansson & Ljungberg, 2008),
perhaps friends are more likely to be prosocial without solicitation after conflict than nonfriends.
A number of studies have shown that this is the case (Verbeek & de Waal, 2001). Other studies
with further differentiated friendship patterns found similar results: Friends were more likely
than neutral associates, or those who neither indicated liking or disliking for their partner, to
reconcile after conflict (Roseth et al., 2011) and interact with each other after conflict (Hartup, et
al., 1988). However, the literature is mixed with regards to this outcome. For example, after
conflict, affiliative, conciliatory behaviors have been found to be more likely for nonfriends than
friends in older preschool children (Fujisawa, Kutsukake & Hasegawa, 2005). Subsequent
studies with preschoolers have found similar results (e.g., Fujisawa, Kutsukake & Hasegawa,
2006). While seemingly counterintuitive, these results might indicate an attempt to further
promote friendships among nonfriends whereas the already established friendship may not be in
20

danger after a conflict. Hence, prosocial behaviors might be more impactful for nonfriends.
Continued work using naturalistic observation methods focusing on prosocial behaviors before
and after conflict is needed to provide further understanding of these outcomes. Further, these
studies operationally defined friendship in dissimilar ways (i.e., using teacher nominations versus
play interactions vs. sociometric nominations) which could be a confounding factor in these
results. By employing sociometric nominations, this dissertation study extends the existing
literature on mutually nominated friendships and prosocial behavior in post-conflict contexts
(e.g., Roseth et al., 2011).
Prosocial Behavior and Child Demographic Characteristics
The relationship between children‘s demographic characteristics (i.e., sex, race/ethnicity
and age) and prosocial behaviors relevant to the this dissertation study because participating
children were of the same socioeconomic status, as Head Start only admits children from
families with low incomes (Capital Area Head Start, 2012). The Head Start program is a
federally funded program that attempt to promote the school readiness of children from
economically disadvantaged families (Ludwig & Miller, 2007). A significant percentage of Head
Start preschool students are from ethnic minority backgrounds (Magnuson & Waldfogel, 2005).
This ethnic diversity differs from the university preschools in which prosocial behavior research
is often conducted, where children are typically White and from middle class backgrounds. As
such, a focused investigation of low SES children from diverse racial/ethnic groups will provide
the literature with a broader scope of how prosocial behaviors are enacted after conflict. Furhter,
this dissertation study was the first to not only consider individual preschoolers‘ demographic
characteristics in the context of prosocial behavior, it also considered dyadic demographic
similarities using social network analysis. This section will review empirical research focusing
21

on age, race and sex at the intersection of socioeconomic status as demographic variables that
may be related to prosocial behavior.
Age. Researchers have studied the development of prosocial behavior across the lifespan.
During infancy, infants have been shown to exhibit impulsive, global empathy (Eisenberg, Fabes
& Spinrad, 2006). The infants‘ empathy is manifest reactions to other children who display
distress. Infants cry with other babies cry (Hay, 1994). Based on Hoffman‘s theory, Hay (1994)
hypothesized that during infancy, prosocial behaviors are universal because of a general interest
in other individuals. In the first two years, prosocial interactions appear to be impulsive. With
age, children are increasingly able to self-regulate and understand which prosocial behaviors are
appropriate under which circumstances. They are also better able to reason about prosocial
behavior.
After the first two years, literature on the development of prosocial behavior provides
differing developmental outcomes. Generally, prosocial behaviors increase with age (Eisenberg
& Mussen, 1989). However, in some accounts, young children show increases of prosocial
behavior through preschool into elementary school (Zahn-Waxler & Smith, 1992). Other
accounts demonstrate a slight decrease in prosocial behaviors during the preschool years, the
result of children making decisions about to whom they will direct their other-oriented behavior
(Eisenberg, Fabes & Spinrad, 2006). This decline could also be due to preschoolers learning the
social appropriateness of prosocial behaviors as well as a more sophisticated understanding of
how behaviors benefit others can also be in one‘s self-interest. The existing literature on
preschool prosocial behaviors paints an inconclusive picture. However, perhaps age similarity
within the dyad would better explain the prosocial behaviors in post-conflict contexts. This

22

dissertation study expands the literature by examining age as both an individual and dyadic
characteristic.
Race/ethnicity. Empirical research on the prosocial behaviors of preschool children has
largely focused on White preschoolers, with less emphasis on African American and Latino
children. The empirical work on the latter group has relied on experimental designs comparing
them to White American children in terms of social motives for prosocial behaviors (Kagan &
Knight, 1981) and prosocial and competitive behavior development (Knight & Kagan, 1977b).
Elementary school children chose to allocate chips to themselves or their peers using the Social
Behavior Scale. The studies found Mexican American children to share chips and display less
competitive behaviors than their White counterparts. Further, studies on the generational status
of the Mexican American children found that with increased generational status, the more
Mexican American children resemble their White counterparts (Knight & Kagan, 1977a). These
findings were attributed to membership in a traditional culture that emphasizes cooperation over
competition (Eisenberg & Mussen, 1989). Although these findings highlight group differences,
as with all experimental studies, the real-time, naturalistic expression of prosocial behaviors is
not captured. Studies that take place outside of the laboratory that highlight how Mexican
American children are prosocial, particularly in post-conflict contexts in the classroom are
necessary to further understand prosocial behavior within this ethnic group. Additionally, there
was no consideration of whether the Mexican-American children would show similar levels of
prosociality when their partners are of a different racial or ethnic group. This study will address
this question.
More recent studies have shed more light on the prosocial behaviors of ethnic minority
preschoolers. For instance, in a study of the prosocial behaviors in the context of interpersonal
23

interactions and relationships, special attention was paid to differences between the ethnic groups
(Euro American, African American and Latino; Spivak & Howes, 2011). They found that
African American preschoolers were more likely to engage in prosocial behaviors than their
counterparts, which combats the deficit perspective from which African American children are
often viewed (Garcia Coll et al., 1996). Just as with studies focusing on Mexican-American
children, contextualizing these outcomes in post-conflict would further elucidate the nature of
these children‘s prosocial behaviors, as well as consideration of the racial backgrounds of the
recipients of the prosocial behaviors.
Sex. As children age, their prosocial behaviors have been shown to differentiate
according to sex (Hay, 1994). For example, girls are typically found to be more prosocial than
boys (Hay, 1994; Zahn-Waxler & Smith, 1992), but this result might be misleading for a number
of reasons. First, researchers highlight the role of gender norms on these outcomes. Stereotypes
of female behavior as being more responsive and caring towards others than males might inform
the notion that girls are more prosocial (Eisenberg, Fabes & Spinrad, 2006). These stereotypes
can be particularly prominent in studies that rely on teacher or parent reports of prosocial
behaviors, as these third-parties might carry stereotypical gender biases (Ostrov, Krick &
Keating, 2005).
Further, sex differences in prosocial behaviors depend on the type of prosocial behavior
under investigation. For example, adolescent boys have been shown to be more prosocial in
―action-oriented‖ situations, showing their agency (Eagly & Crowly, 1986). In naturalistic
observation studies involving same-sex preschool- and school-aged sibling pairs, females have
been found to be consistently more prosocial than males in nurturing behaviors (Abramovitch,
Corter & Lando, 1979). In other studies, boys were more prosocial than their same-aged female
24

counterparts (Brody, Stoneman, MacKinnon & MacKinnon, 1985). This dissertation contributes
to this literature a number of ways. First, by examining both boys and girls in same-sex and
mixed-sex dyads in their prosocial behaviors after conflict highlighted the differences and
similarities in boys and girls post-conflict prosocial interactions. Second, by examining the
dyadic nature of these interactions between children of the same-sex or mixed-sex dyads, this
study considers post-conflict prosocial behaviors as dyadic and not solely individual behaviors.
Peer homophily. As described above, in the preschool classroom, the demographic
characteristics described above can be shared among peers. Shared characteristics can facilitate
interactions and relationships among young children. Homophily, or ―consistency across
members in…personal characteristics‖ (Rubin, Bukowski & Parker, 2006, p 579) in terms of sex
and age, is evident even in preschoolers: Children are likely to be friends with similar peers.
Homophilic influences on prosocial behavior are less known, particularly in the case of conflict
resolution. A question that remains is how similarity between friends (e.g., same sex friend vs.
different sex friend) may influence conciliatory behaviors among formerly conflicting peers.
Current Study
In summary, the aim of this dissertation is to explore how the interpersonal relationships
within Head Start classrooms influence reconciliation after conflict. Specifically, this dissertation
study addresses the following research questions:
1. After conflict, what prosocial behaviors do preschoolers exhibit? Is there a relationship
between types of conflict and prosocial behaviors offered? To what extent are
postconflict prosocial behaviors accepted by peers? Is there a relationship between the
type of postconflict prosocial behavior and peer acceptance?

25

2. What are the outcomes (i.e., together, separate, reconciled) of prosocial behavior after
conflict?
3. What are the types of interventions do teachers use to end conflict? What is the
relationship between preschool teachers‘ prosocial conflict interventions and together
outcomes in conflicting dyads? How do teachers use intervention to promote prosocial
behavior?
4. What individual characteristics (e.g., race/ethnicity, sex, friendship) are associated with
prosocial behaviors? What roles do dyadic homophily and teacher intervention play in
prosocial interactions?
Method
The data for this dissertation were previously collected in seven classrooms located at
four Head Start centers in a Midwestern United States city in the Spring of 2009 (February
through April). Three of the classrooms met five mornings per week, and the other four
classrooms met five afternoons per week. Procedures associated with this study were reviewed
and approved by the sponsoring university's Institutional Review Board, IRB #08-823D, revision
ID r042534, and also by the Head Start District Office and the individual classroom teachers.
Permission slips were sent home by each classroom teacher and children with signed permission
slips participated in the study.
Participants
Preschoolers. A total of 104 preschool children participated across seven classrooms.
Children's ages ranged from 41 to 73 months (M = 55.71, SD = 7.17). Classrooms included
multi-aged students. Across the sample, 39% of the children were African or African American,
19% were Hispanic, 20% European American, 2% Asian-American, and 20% were Black-White
26

biracial. In terms of sex, the children were almost evenly split: 54% of the children were girls (n
= 56) and 46% were boys (n = 48). Admission into Head Start is based on income; families must
meet state low-income eligibility requirements, with an income range of 100-130% of the federal
poverty threshold (CACS Head Start, 2012). The sample included one child on the autism
spectrum who was not included in analyses. Four children left the school during data collection
and six children joined the school during the year. Of the latecomers, only the preschoolers
whose parents completed consent forms were eligible for participation in this study.
Teachers. There were a total of 15 teachers across the seven classrooms. Teachers ages
ranged from 19-54 years (M = 38.23, SD = 11.307) and all were women. There were equal
numbers of African American and European American teachers (n = 5, 33.3% each), and 13% of
teachers were Hispanic (n = 2). Teachers varied in terms of their educational backgrounds: 40%
of teachers had some college education (n = 6), 20% completed an Associate‘s degree (n = 3),
and 33% had a Bachelor‘s degree. Years of experience working in preschool settings ranged
from 0 years (new teachers) to 20 years of experience (M = 7.87, SD = 7.736).
Observational Procedures
Prior to entering classrooms, the researchers participated in a training regimen that
involved videotape viewing and discussions. Before data collection began, research assistants
went to the Head Start classrooms for two weeks to acclimatize the students to their presence and
conducted mock-recordings of the students during free play. Video recordings of free play were
conducted every weekday the preschool was in session during the eight week observational
period by ten graduate and undergraduate student researchers. Video coding provides many
advantages compared to live coding, such as the ability to take multiple passes, discrepancy
discussions to avoid observer drift and blind interobserver checks (Yoder & Symons, 2010).
27

Data collection began after two weeks of practice taping. Reactivity to the observers was
likely minimal as the children became accustomed to the researchers' presence (Pellegrini et al.,
2007). Researchers observed the preschoolers during their hour-long free-play time four days a
week (Monday through Thursday). Each day, observers entered a classroom with a predetermined, randomized list of children to videotape. Children were observed in their
classrooms, gymnasiums, and playgrounds. In all locations, researchers moved around the room
to film the focal child in a manner unobtrusive to the children. Across the semester, on average,
each student was recorded 6 times. Numbers varied due to absences from school.
Focal sampling. Children were observed according to focal and event sampling
procedures and continuous recording rules. Focal sampling/continuous recording rules
(Pellegrini, 2004) governed focal observations. Working from randomized lists, observers
located individual children and recorded behaviors in a 10-minute period. A variety of behaviors
were recorded, including children's play states.
Event sampling. Due to the rare nature of conflictual events, event sampling took
precedence over focal observations. Event sampling with continuous recording rules (Pellegrini,
2008) were followed when an observer saw an conflict event in which once child shows
resistance (e.g., posture, tone of voice or resource control), physical or verbal aggression in
opposition to the influence attempt, resource control attempt, aggression or argument of another
child (Verbeek & de Waal, 2001; see also Shantz, 1987). Conflict types included object/position
where preschoolers fought over the use of a toy or other desired resource or place in the
classroom, cause harm (i.e., preschoolers were physically aggressive with an intent to inflict
pain), entry-based (i.e., a preschooler attempted to enter the play situation of another

28

preschooler), and peer control where one preschooler attempts to influence another preschooler
during play.
This study focused only on conflict events involving both a resource control attempt and
resistance to said attempt. In the event of an conflict event not involving the focal child, the
research assistants would end the focal observation and direct taping towards the conflict. For
each conflict, observers recorded the time of the conflict as well as the names of the students in
the dyad. At the end of the conflict, researchers noted the identity of the child who initiated the
conflict as well as the target child. The winner and loser were also designated. The winner was
the child who obtains the desired object while the loser lost control of the resource (Hartup,
Laursen, Stewart & Eastenson, 1988).
Intervention observations. At any time during a conflict event, an intervention may
occur. Interventions were included in the conflict observations when possible. Both peers and
teachers could act as interveners. The time of the intervention was recorded as well as the name
of the intervener and the intervention behavior. Interveners could redirect the students‘ attention
or physically separate the students, reprimand, model conciliatory behavior, mediate between the
parties, arbitrate without referencing class rules, or enforce classroom rules. For the purposes of
this dissertation study, interventions that promoted prosocial behaviors were the emphasis.
Post-conflict observations. Immediately after each conflict and the children separated, a
post-conflict (PC) observation was taken, where the reactor (or most affected child) of the
conflict was observed for 10 minutes, or until the conflict dyad reunited. During the post-conflict
observation, the reactor was watched to determine the level of stress the conflict caused to the
child as well the amount of time it takes the dyad to reconcile (if at all). PC observations ended
when the conflicting dyad reunited. In this study, PC observations were noted for prosocial
29

conciliatory behaviors including: apology, cooperative proposition, where the performer
indicates friendly intentions and suggestions (e.g., sharing, offering to take turns, offering a
favor, etc.); symbolic offer, which is an offer of something that is not immediately available;
object offer of a valuable possession or the object of dispute and physical contact. The target of
the prosocial reconciliation attempt could accept or deny the reconciliation attempt. In the case
of reconciliation, the acceptance or rejection of conciliatory behavior was recorded as well as the
time the dyad reunited. PC observations could also be interrupted in the event of a new
conflict. Post-conflict observations were only taken in the event that the students separated and
there was no noticeable communication or interaction (also known as a separate outcome). If at
the conflict‘s termination the children continue being in close proximity while communicating or
interacting in a non-agonistic manner, the research assistant would record for one minute then
move on to the next observation.
Match-control observations. Like previous research on post-conflict reconciliation (e.g.,
Roseth et al., 2011), this study utilizes the PC-MC method to examine reconciliation. On the
school day after the conflict (or Monday if the conflict occurred on Thursday), a match-control
(MC) observation was taken to determine if the preschoolers coming together during PC was
more or less likely than interacting during free play. The MC observation focused on the same
dyad that was in conflict the day before, matching contextual variables of the match-control to
those of the PC (e.g., the two individuals are separated, time of day, location). Thus, the matchcontrol is meant to ‗match‘ the PC observation in all ways save the presence of conflict before
the peers separate.
During match-control observations, the research assistant (RA) had a data sheet with the
assigned focal and match-control observations for the day with room for notes for specific
30

occurrences. The RA watched to see if the dyad played together or stayed apart during that
time. Unlike conflict events and focal behaviors, match-control observations were not recorded
because the dichotomous outcome of interest (i.e., whether the two individuals came together (or
not) during the match-control period) was simple enough to code en vivo (see Roseth et al.,
2011, for similar methodology. If one of the students was absent, the match-control observation
was taken on the next day both students were present.
Video Coding
After filming, videos were transferred onto computers for behavioral coding using
Mangold Interact, a video coding software program. A team of four graduate and undergraduate
researchers coded conflict behaviors and play states as previously defined. In the instance that a
conflict event was discovered during coding, researchers would code conflict behaviors.
However, match control observations were not possible for these post-hoc conflict events. If
multiple play states occurred within a ten-second interval, the play state that the child was
predominantly engaged in (<5.01 seconds) was coded. During focal and event sampling, peers
and teachers with whom the focal child was interacting with, playing near, or observing were
coded. Interrator agreement was established by double coding a randomly selected 10% of the
conflict observations (

.94). Any discrepancies during coding were resolved through

discussion.
For the purposes of this dissertation study, post-conflict observations were further coded
to capture prosocial behaviors: sharing, cooperation, helping, comfort, and invitations to play.
Prosocial conciliatory behaviors (described above) were also coded in the event of post-conflict.
Prosocial behaviors immediately following conflict, even in the event that children do not
separate, were also coded. To control for the fact that preschoolers were in varying numbers of
31

conflict, all prosocial behaviors were transformed into rates by dividing the number of prosocial
behaviors done by an individual preschoolers by the number of conflict observations in which
that preschooler was the initiator or reactor. This allows for relative comparison across cases.
Interrator agreement was established by double coding randomly selected 10% of the conflict
observations (κ = 1.0).
Sociometric Nominations
Sociometric interviews were conducted with individual children with interview questions
based on a peer-nomination measure used in prior research with preschool-age children (Crick,
Casas & Mosher, 1997). Children were interviewed by one of the researchers. Procedurally, peer
nominations began with the adult holding up a picture board containing individual pictures of
each of the child's classmates, including opposite-sex peers. Following standard procedures,
children were asked to point to three peers in response to the following questions: someone you
like to play with, someone you don't like to play with, and a special friend. Mutual nominations
(i.e., friendships) and one-way nominations (i.e., aspirational ties) were noted for each child.
Social Network Analysis
Because of the dynamic nature of the classroom system and peer interactions therein,
social network analysis was used to examine the interdependencies and relations among the
children in the classrooms. In addition to examining the individual factors that influence
prosocial behavior, through social network analysis, the ties among individuals, or actors, are
readily studied (Frank & Fahrbach, 1999). Further, social network analysis takes into account the
composition and structure of the networks within a system (Wellman & Frank, 1999) as well as
reciprocity and mutuality among individuals. There are two commonly used social network
models: influence (whereby networks develop out of the social context which affect behaviors
32

and beliefs) and selection (how individuals‘ interactions and relationships develop; Frank, 1998).
For the purposes of this dissertation study, the selection (or p2) model was used to examine
whether teacher intervention, homophily and/or friendship influenced preschoolers‘ prosocial
behaviors. Prosocial interactions were examined using multilevel modeling (i.e., at two levels).
Level 1 analyses examined the shared characteristics within the dyad (i.e., pair of individuals),
taking into account the relationship to another peer. Homophily in terms of age was determined
by taking the absolute value of the age difference between each pair of preschoolers. Because of
the racial diversity in the classrooms, race was dummy coded as Black (yes/no) or White
(yes/no). Biracial children were coded as both white and black. Level 2 analyses consider the
individual attributes that would predict prosocial behavior (e.g., age, sex, race/ethnicity, etc.).
Reconciliation Analyses
Reconciliation after separation was tested using two methods: the ―PC-MC method‖ (de
Waal & Yoshihara, 1983) and the ―time-rule method‖ (Aureli, van Schaik & van Hooff, 1989).
First, in the PC-MC method, reconciliation between a conflicting dyad was tested by comparing
the post-conflict (PC) and match-control (MC) observations to determine if formerly conflicting
dyad was more likely to come together after conflict-induced separation than in the absence of
conflict. Pairs were considered attracted if their first interaction after separation occurred only in
the post-conflict (PC) or earlier in PC than in match control (MC), dispersed if interaction
occurred only in MC or earlier in MC than in PC, and neutral if no affiliative interaction
occurred in either PC or MC observations, or occurred at the same time during both. Children
were considered to be reconciled when the number of attracted pairs and dispersed pairs differed
significantly.

33

The attracted pairs method allows for determining the corrected conciliatory tendency
(CCT), defined as (the number of attracted PC-MC pairs – the number of dispersed PC-MC
pairs)/the total number of PC-MC pairs (Veenema, Das & Aureli, 1994). The CCT allows for the
comparison of conciliatory tendency among individuals (e.g., friends and homophilic dyads) and
groups (e.g., classrooms).
The second method used for testing reconciliation was the time-rule method which
emphasizes the timeframe in which reconciliation occurs. Here, the frequency distribution of first
affiliative contacts between former opponents during PCs and MCs are compared. Reconciliation
was inferred if the frequency of first affiliative contact is higher in PCs than MCs.
Thematic Analysis of Teacher Intervention
Intervention interactions between teachers and preschoolers were transcribed and
analyzed using thematic analysis (Corbin & Strauss, 2008). Thematic analysis allowed for the
examination of the context of intervention as well as the dialogue between teacher interveners
and the preschoolers. In this analysis, all videos were watched, and the conflict episodes that
included prosocial teacher interventions were noted. The parts of those interventions (e.g., what
teachers said during intervention, with whom they interacted, behaviors during interaction, etc.)
were coded. After noting the possible parts of the prosocial interventions, the major theme was
determined that most affected how teachers intervened with the preschoolers.
Results
Descriptives
Across the eight week observation period and all seven classrooms there were a total of
345 dyadic conflicts. Out of the 345 total conflicts, 133 (38.6%) were identified during video
recording and 212 (61.4%) were identified during post-hoc coding. Thus, the vast majority of
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conflicts were object/position disputes (n = 263, 75.8%), 35 (10.1%) were entry-based conflicts,
and 28 (8.1%) peer control conflicts. There were only 6 (1.7%) conflicts where a preschool child
caused harm through an aggressive act and 15 (4.3%) other types of conflict.
In all there were n = 40 preschoolers (38.5% of total sample) who engaged in postconflict prosocial behavior (the number of prosocial preschoolers by classroom is shown in
Figure 1). The average age of the children who were prosocial after conflict was 56.2 months.
Prosocial preschoolers ranged from 42 months to 65 months in age. Eight (20%) prosocial
preschoolers were between 42 and 48 months, 14 (35%) were between 49 and 60 months, and 15
(37.5%) were over 60 months in age. Racially, the majority of post-conflict prosocial behaviors
were enacted by African American children (n = 19, 47.5%), followed by white (n = 7, 17.5%),
Latino (n = 7, 17.5%), biracial children (n = 6, 15%) and Asian children (n = 1, 2.5%). Prosocial
preschoolers were evenly divided in terms of sex. Equal numbers of male and female
preschoolers were prosocial after conflict (20 each; 50% male, 50% female).
Types of Prosocial Behaviors
Of the 345 total conflicts, 52 (15.1%) ended with a prosocial behavior by either the
initiator or reactor of the conflict. Of the conflicts ending in prosocial behaviors, there were only
4 conflicts (7.7%) where a child initiated more than one prosocial behavior, and one conflict
where both children in the dyad were prosocial. The vast majority of prosocial behaviors (n = 51,
96.2%) occurred after object/position conflicts, whereby the dispute was over a desired resource
or location in the classroom. Prosocial behaviors also occurred after one peer control conflict
(i.e., when a preschooler attempted to exert control over a peer) and one entry-based conflict (i.e,
when a preschooler attempted to enter a play situation).

35

The total number of post conflict prosocial behaviors in the sample total 57, with 59 out
of 104 children (56.7%) involved in prosocial interactions (i.e., as the giver or receiver). In all,
20 (35.1%) of the post-conflict prosocial interactions only involved the giver and receiver of
prosocial behaviors (i.e., there were no bystanders as witnesses to the behaviors). There were 32
(56.1%) prosocial post-conflict behaviors that had one to two bystanders and 5 (8.8%) had three
to four bystanders. The majority of prosocial behaviors happened in the presence of other
preschoolers (n = 37, 64.9%).
Of the four prosocial behaviors under investigation, only three (sharing, cooperating, and
helping) were present in the sample. No children were observed comforting their partner after
conflict. Sharing behaviors were the most offered of the 57 total prosocial behaviors (41; 71.9%)
while there were 8 instances each of helping and cooperation (14% each). A χ2 goodness-of-fit
test showed that there was a significant relationship between the type of conflict and the type of
prosocial behavior offered χ2 (2, n = 51) = 42.824, p < .001, indicating that sharing prosocial
behaviors were more likely after object disputes than expected by chance.
The majority of prosocial behaviors offered were clearly accepted (42; 73.7%) and 3
(5.3%) were passively accepted (i.e., accepted as indicated by a lack refusal of the prosocial
offer). The remaining 12 prosocial offers were denied outright (n = 11, 19.3%) or passively (n =
1, 1.8%). A χ2 goodness-of-fit test showed that the relationship between the type of postconflict
prosocial behavior and peer acceptance of that behavior was significant χ2 (2, n = 41) = 42.341,
p < .001, indicating that sharing prosocial behaviors were more likely to be accepted than
expected by chance.
Outcomes (together, separate, reconciled) of Prosocial Behavior After Conflict

36

Out of the 345 total conflicts, 211 ended in together outcomes (61.2%) and 133 conflict
episodes ended in separation (38.6%). The outcome of one conflict could not be determined
because the camera shifted focus. Of the conflict events that ended in separation, 24 dyads (18%)
established affiliative interactions during post-conflict observations. Of the 133 conflicts that
ended in separation, 56 were originally video recorded and as such, accessible for analysis.
Two methods were used to test for reconciliation: the attracted pairs method and the timerule method. The following sections highlight the findings of both analysis methods.
Attracted pairs. In the larger conflict sample, out of the 133 conflict episodes where the
dyad separated, 34 PC-MC samples were available for analysis. Results showed 2 attracted pairs,
13 dispersed pairs and 19 neutral pairs. The number of attracted and dispersed pairs differed
significantly from a 1:1 expectation (exact binomial: p < .01), however, the overall conciliatory
tendency (CCT) was -32.4%. Because there were fewer attracted pairs than dispersed pairs (i.e.,
the negative CCT), these results suggest that, in this sample, reconciliation after conflict less
likely than the possibility that children would be playing together outside of post conflict.
Of the 52 dyadic conflicts ending with prosocial behaviors, 37 (71.2%) ended in together
outcomes and continuing affiliative play, and 15 (28.8%) ended in separation. Of those conflicts
that ended in separation, 6 dyads (40%) established PC affiliation after initial separation, and 4
PC-MC samples were accessible for analysis. Results showed 2 attracted pairs and 1 dispersed
and neutral pair each. The number of attracted and dispersed pairs did not differ from a 1:1
expectation (exact binomial: p = 1.0). The CCT was 25 percent. There were 8 children (4 dyads)
involved in available PC-MC pairs, only 0.2 percent of the 1856 possible dyads in the entire
sample. The positive CCT after prosocial behaviors (while not significant) suggests that

37

reconciliation was more likely after post-conflict prosocial behaviors than in conflicts where no
prosocial behaviors were offered.
Time-rule. The time-rule method tested for reconciliation by examining whether the
distribution of first affiliative contacts was greater in PC than in MC. For overall conflict, a
Kolmogorov-Smirnoff test showed a nonsignificant difference between the PC and MC
distributions (z = .992, p = .279). For conflicts ending in prosocial behavior, a K-S test also
showed a nonsignificant difference (z = .882, p = .418). Thus, reconciliation could not be
inferred using the attracted pairs nor the time-rule method.
Prosocial Teacher Interventions
Out of the 345 total conflicts, 92 (26.7%) were intervened by teachers. In all there were
158 intervention behaviors enacted by teachers. Arbritrate was the most frequently used conflict
intervention (29.1%) followed by mediation (19.1%) and redirect/separation (14.6%). Prosocial
teacher interventions were among the least likely intervention behaviors, making up only 3.8%
of interventions, followed by reprimanding (1.9%). Table 2 shows the frequency and percentages
of all the teacher interventions in this sample.
Of the 52 conflict episodes ending in prosocial behaviors, 15 (28.8%) ended with a
teacher intervention. A 2 independent samples test Kolmogorov-Smirnoff showed that there were
no significant differences between intervention distributions between the general conflict and
those with prosocial behaviors (z = .62, p = .82), suggesting that interventions were equally
likely in conflicts with ending in prosocial behaviors than those that do not (see Figure 2 for the
frequency of teacher interventions and prosocial behaviors per classroom and figure 3 for
frequency of teacher interventions ending in prosocial behaviors compared to those that do not).
Only 6 (1.7%) of the 349 conflicts ended with a prosocial teacher intervention, however only 5
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(9.6 % of conflict episodes) of these interventions emphasized prosocial behaviors (see Figure
3).
Five of the 6 prosocial conflict interventions occurred in the same classroom (classroom
5). In classroom 5, two teachers intervened in conflict emphasizing prosocial behaviors: Ms.
Patricia intervened in 3 conflicts and Ms. Lisa intervened in 2. Out of the five conflicts in
classroom 5, 4 interventions were directed towards the same child, Darnel, who was an African
American male preschooler, 46 months of age. Across the observation period, Darnel was
involved in 23 conflicts with his peers. Compliance and noncompliance with the interventions
were assessed in the preschoolers‘ response to teachers‘ interventions. Four of the 6 instances of
prosocial intervention were clearly recorded and in the other two, the camera shifted before the
event was completed and as such could not be included in this analysis. Preschoolers clearly
complied (their compliance was recorded) with 4 of 6 prosocial interventions (66.7%). In all of
the prosocial interventions, teachers encouraged conflicting preschoolers to share the resources
under dispute.
Using thematic analysis, a theme that emerged from the data was the distance the teacher
interveners were from the conflicting preschoolers. Teachers would intervene in close proximity
(i.e., within 6 feet of the conflicting dyad) or from a distance of more than beyond 6 feet. The
differences in distance from the conflict events coincided with how the teachers intervened. As a
result, these differences in proximity served as subthemes to understand the prosocial
interventions.
Proximal interventions. In four out of the six prosocial interventions, teachers were
within 6 feet of the conflict. In these interventions, teachers showed in-depth involvement in the
intervention‘s outcomes, as indicated by complex verbal statements. Proximal interventions
39

provided greater opportunities for scaffolding prosocial behaviors and for guiding the
preschoolers through prosocial outcomes. Scaffolding took verbal or physical forms. For
1

example, Ms. Patricia emphasized paying attention to his peer‘s feelings: ―No Darnel, don‘t
take it away. Look how sad she is. You need to share and take turns. Take turns.‖ She used the
opportunity to show Darnel his peer‘s negative emotions in addition to socializing sharing
behaviors. During her interactions with the children, Ms. Patricia stood within the play
environment outside of the play group and spoke to the children calmly. In this particular
intervention, Ms. Patricia also took physical control of the object under dispute (a toy
microwave) and placed it in a location in the play area where children could have equal access to
it.
Taking control of the object of conflict was evident in other conflicts as well. For
example, in a dispute over Play-Doh, Ms. Patricia physically divided a lump of Play-Doh
between the two conflicting male preschoolers and instructed Michael, ―You have a lot of PlayDoh, you can share.‖ She continued by including the second child, Xavier, ―You can sit in one
chair, and you can sit in another, and you can all play.‖ While directing the children to where
they should sit, she leaned over in the midst of the children while speaking to them and pointed
to the assigned seats. In her intervention, she physically demonstrated to the children how
sharing can be enacted to end this conflict (and possibly prevent future similar conflicts).
Similarly, in another prosocial scaffolding intervention, Ms. Mira took the shovel from the sand
table where the conflict event occurred and maintained control while determining who should
use the toy shovel. Ms. Mira then asked Mellie ―So what should I do with this? Do you want to
give it back to Zack, or do you want to use it?‖ The teacher posed questions to scaffold Mellie to
1

All of the names of the preschoolers and teachers have been changed.
40

a prosocial decision. Mellie chose to share. During the conflict intervention, Ms. Mellie leaned
over the sand table and talked to the children calmly.
Across the four proximal prosocial interventions, teachers‘ nearby position to the
conflicting dyad afforded the opportunity to show children how to be prosocial. Verbally,
teachers‘ directives were elaborate and used multiple statements and questions to promote
prosocial behavior. Nonverbal behaviors also indicated the socialization of prosocial behavior
beyond delivering an order to be complied. During the interventions, the target children mostly
paid attention to the teacher, responding to posed questions and asking about the terms of sharing
for future play. After these proximal interventions, the children in these conflicts shared (i.e.,
captured on camera) the desired resource three of four times, indicating that the interventions
were successful in promoting prosocial behaviors.
Distal intervention. In the remaining two of the six prosocial interventions, teachers
were beyond six feet from the conflicting dyad (and off-camera) when they intervened. Unlike
the more proximal interventions, teachers used single sentences that instructed preschoolers to
share. In both conflicts that involved Darnel, Ms. Lisa gave simple directives: ―Darnel, you need
to share the microwave‖ and ―Darnel, please share the toys. Share.‖ The teacher was made aware
of the conflict by Mark, a child who was in conflict with Darnel and sought the teacher to
intervene. In both interventions, the teacher‘s voice was loud enough to be heard, but she did not
use harsh tones when directing Darnel. Because she was off-camera, there was no evidence of
additional nonverbal cues the teacher used to emphasize her directives.
These interventions from a distance provided little opportunity for direct instruction and
scaffolding of prosocial behaviors. Darnel focused on the teacher in one of the prosocial
interventions, and in the other, he continued to play with the toy under dispute without turning to
41

face the teacher. Darnel clearly complied with the distal intervention once. Because the camera
shifted focus for the second intervention, it is unclear if Darnel shared the toy with his conflict
partner.
Outcomes after intervention. After prosocial interventions, conflicting dyads remained
together for 5 conflicts (83%) and came back together after initial separation in the sixth conflict.
The sixth conflict outcome was not captured on video, so a together or separate outcome could
not be determined.
The Role of Race, Ethnicity, Sex, Friendship and Intervention on Prosocial Behaviors
This set of analyses examined the influence of teacher intervention, demographic factors
and friendship on prosocial behaviors after conflict. In order to address this question, the
selection (p2) model of social networking analysis was used. Specifically, two-level hierarchical
linear modeling was used to examine individual (level 2) and dyadic (level 1) effects on
prosocial behavior (Table 2).

LEVEL 1:
=θ0 + θ1ii’ (similar-sex) + θ2ii’ (similar-race/ethnicity) + θ3ii’
(Abs.Age) + θ4ii’ (Friendship nomination) + θ5ii’ (teacher intervention)
LEVEL 2:
θ0=γo0 + γ01 (sex) + γ02 (age) + γ03 (race/ethnicity)
θ1i = γ10
θ2i = γ20
θ3i = γ30
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θ4i = γ40
θ5i = γ50
Results showed that prosocial behavior rates within dyads or between pairs of
preschoolers were marginally significantly associated with sex homophily (b = .013, p = .052)
and with the frequency of teacher intervention on the pair‘s conflict (b = .031, p < .01). Mutual
friendship nominations were also marginally associated with prosocial behaviors (b = .025, p
= .119). There was no evidence that homophily in race and age predicted prosocial behaviors. At
the individual level, there was also no evidence that sex, age, or race/ethnicity influenced
prosocial behaviors after conflict.
Discussion
By-and-large, the existing literature on preschool prosocial behaviors has examined those
behaviors in various contexts. The purpose of this dissertation study was to expand the literature
by focusing on post-conflict prosocial behaviors. Emphasizing conflict contexts highlights the
ways in which preschoolers utilize prosocial behaviors as a socially and developmentally
appropriate way to negotiate relationships during clashes with their peers. Consequently,
prosocial behaviors might serve to end conflicts as well as to maintain relationships, which might
not be the case during free play. Through the present naturalistic observation study,
preschoolers‘ use and teachers‘ socialization of prosocial behaviors after conflict were examined,
focusing on the role of homophily and friendship as well as teachers‘ socialization of prosocial
behavior after conflict.
Prosocial Behavior after Conflict
First, this study focused on the enactment prosocial behaviors in the conflict context as
well as the characteristics of the children who were prosocial. Findings showed that only 15% of
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conflict episodes ended in prosocial behaviors, making these behaviors infrequent in the context
of conflict. Previous studies that investigated affiliative interactions after conflict provide a
mixed picture, showing high (Ljungberg, Westlund & Forsberg, 1999) and relatively low
(Fujisawa, Kutsukake & Hasegawa, 2005) rates of these behaviors after conflict. Additionally, in
this diverse sample, there was no demographic group that enacted the vast majority of prosocial
behaviors, however, African American and children between 42 and 60 months showed the
highest frequency of prosocial behavior. Previous research has indicated that prosocial behaviors
tend to increase with age (Eisenberg & Mussen, 1989). The initial findings that African
American preschoolers show relatively high prosocial behaviors in the context of conflict
demonstrates the need for continued research investigating the prosocial behaviors of children
from diverse backgrounds, particularly when examined in conjunction with previous literature.
Investigating the contexts of prosocial behavior enactment would complicate the idea that ―atrisk‖ preschoolers are deficient in these developmentally appropriate behaviors.
This study also found a significant relationship between object disputes and sharing
behaviors. No previous research has investigated the relationship between conflict type and
prosocial behavior types, however, these findings were consistent with expectations. It stands to
reason that particular types of conflict would engender specific prosocial strategies, possibly for
the maintenance of interactions with the opponent or continued access to the object of dispute.
That relationship helps explain the low frequency of helping and cooperating behaviors. Perhaps
preschool-aged children are able to use the conflict context to determine which prosocial
behavior would be the most fitting. Because this is the first study to examine these outcomes,
future studies should continue to examine this relationship and contributing factors.

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Not surprisingly, and consistent with expectations, preschoolers accepted the prosocial
offers made by their peers after most conflict events. These outcomes are somewhat consistent
with previous literature on the preschoolers‘ reactions to prosocial behaviors where children
would mostly neutrally accept the offer without any other reactions (Eisenberg, Cameron, Tryon
& Dodez, 1981). Further, because the majority of prosocial behaviors dealt with the sharing of
the object under dispute, it is possible that these behaviors were accepted because the responder
did not want to lose access to the desired resource. Due to the ethological nature of the data,
there is no understanding of the cognitions behind the reactors‘ acceptance of prosocial offers.
Future studies on this topic would benefit from exploration the conditions under which
preschoolers accept and/or deny prosocial outcomes as well as the reasoning behind acceptance.
For example, Chadha and Misra (2006) conducted a study on the prosocial reasoning of Indian
children as young as 5 years old across socioeconomic statuses, and older studies have explicitly
examined the reasoning behind middle class preschool children (see Eisenberg-berg & Neal,
1979; Eisenberg, Pasternack, Cameron & Tryon, 1984). A similar protocol could be conducted
that captures why children opted to continue with play with their former opponent.
Outcomes (together, separate, reconciled) of Prosocial Behavior after Conflict
The second goal of this dissertation study was to examine the outcomes after conflict
generally and specifically, when prosocial behaviors were performed. Overall, children were
more likely to stay together after conflict, regardless of the presence of prosocial behavior.
However, compared to general conflict observations, dyads that had prosocial interactions were
more likely to stay together, and show affiliation after initial separation. Results indicated that
preschoolers mostly stayed together with their partners after post-conflict prosocial behaviors
(71%). The majority together outcomes after prosocial behaviors were consistent with
45

expectations, however, previous literature paints an uncertain picture of together outcomes after
prosocial behaviors. For instance, one study noted that conciliatory behaviors (e.g., apologies,
symbolic offers, and physical contact) were positively correlated with together outcomes
(Verbeek, 2001) and in another, separate outcomes were more common (Fujisawa, Kutsukake &
Hasegawa, 2005).The uncertainty is due in part to differing definitions of prosocial behaviors
after conflict (i.e., conciliatory versus affiliative behaviors). These results provide initial
evidence of the role of Eisenberg‘s prosocial behaviors on conflict outcomes.
For reconciliation in all conflicts and those with prosocial behaviors, neither the attracted
pairs method nor the time-rule method provided conclusive evidence for reconciliation after
conflict, although preschoolers came together in post conflict observations after a number of
conflict events. This was the case for both conflict events broadly and those ending in prosocial
behaviors, but an examination of the attracted pairs method could provide insight into
reconciliation outcomes after prosocial behaviors. This sample‘s overall conflict CCT was
negative due to significantly low post-conflict affiliative interactions in comparison to a control
condition. Conversely, the CCT after prosocial behavior was positive, albeit low. This result
provides additional evidence for the role of prosocial behaviors in maintaining interactions
between formerly conflicting dyads, possibly more than other affiliative behaviors. A major
concern for this study is the lack of match control (MC) observations in relation to post conflict
(PC) observations. Based on expectations, if peers are prosocial after conflict, the importance of
the resource (and possibly the relationship) may promote reconciliation after initial separation.
Research with more MC observational data would further elucidate the manifestation of
reconciliation after prosocial behavior after conflictual events.

46

Although broad conclusions cannot be drawn about specific prosocial behaviors‘ effects
on reconciliation after conflict episodes, the results of this study have implications for prosocial
research and theory. A concern about the existing literature is the inconsistent conceptualization
of prosocial behaviors after conflict. As such, the role of prosocial behavior on conflict
resolution and reconciliation has been uncertain. The results of this study, while focusing on
Eisenberg‘s conceptualization of prosocial behaviors, might inform future discussions on this
topic. Perhaps the definition of prosocial behaviors as done for the benefit of another indicates a
need for an expansion of the conceptualization of these behaviors in the context of conflict. The
reliance on observable behaviors for prosociality might be a limitation of focusing on these
behaviors after conflict. Perhaps conciliatory behaviors that have not traditionally been
considered prosocial could also be for the benefit of another. For example, leaving the
environment might be prosocial in that it provides the partner with space to regulate his or her
emotions. Apologies are another conciliatory behavior that could be prosocial in nature
(Ljungberg, Westlund & Forsberg, 1999) in that they might serve to appease the receiver of the
apology. Future work would benefit from considering first, whether prosocial behaviors were
indeed initiated for the benefit of the other person (taking intentionality into consideration), and
second, systematically expanding Eisenberg‘s conceptualization of prosociality in the context of
conflict.
Prosocial Teacher Interventions
The third goal of this dissertation study was to examine teacher socialization of prosocial
behaviors in the form of conflict intervention. In this study, teachers used a variety of conflict
intervention strategies; however, prosocial interventions were rare, comprising only 6.5% of
interventions. Thematic qualitative analyses focused on the process of teacher intervention and
47

demonstrated that the verbal and nonverbal intervention strategies teachers used varied as a
function of proximity to the conflicting dyad. The closer teacher interveners were to the
disputing preschoolers, the more complex their interventions were. These findings can have
implications for classroom size. As teachers gain more experience in the classroom, they might
better understand where to locate themselves relative to the conflicting dyad. Previous literature
has indicated that type of teacher training is affiliated with beliefs about the role of conflict on
children‘s conflict resolution strategy development (Chen & Smith, 2002). Perhaps those
attitudes influence how teachers intervene in conflict as well. Teachers with more experience do
not see conflict as being detrimental to class climate, which would influence how (and how
often) they intervene in conflict. Specific to prosocial interventions, it is possible that with
training and experience, teachers are better able to indirectly (i.e., from a distance) intervene
prosocially, allowing preschoolers to develop their own strategies.
As a whole, formerly conflicting preschoolers were likely to stay together after teacher
interventions that emphasized prosocial behaviors. Minimally, these results are inconsistent with
previous research on outcomes of teacher intervention that found that together outcomes are less
likely after teacher intervention (Roseth et al., 2008). However, as expected, perhaps the
prosocial nature, as well as the level of involvement of the teacher interventions could explain
these findings. Further, these findings highlight how teachers use intervention to socialize
prosocial behaviors. Previous work has outlined steps for teachers while intervening in conflict
events (Göncü & Cannella, 1996). Although researchers did not elaborate on conflict outcomes,
their model for intervention (i.e., identification of the conflict, concerns about the emotional
effect on the preschoolers, and working towards a solution) could be model for how teachers to
promote prosocial (and other affiliative) behaviors after conflict. Future work should continue to
48

examine the process of prosocial teacher interventions while examining the affiliative outcomes
of these interventions.
This dissertation study also has implications for teaching practice, particularly in Head
Start programs. A goal of the Head Start curriculum is to promote social-emotional learning. For
example, The Al’s Pals: Kids Making Healthy Choices intervention has been one successful
protocol in helping children from high-risk backgrounds learn how to make healthy prosocial
and personal decisions. Through the use of puppets, role play, and creative play, children are
taught to express empathy and understanding of others as well as socialize prosocial behaviors
(Lynch, Gellar, & Schmidt, 2004). Because promoting positive behavior in children is an explicit
goal of the Head Start program, the results of this dissertation elucidated the practice and
effectiveness of teachers‘ socialization of prosocial behavior, especially after a conflict event
where subsequent positive interactions are critical. The findings that the distances teachers
intervene from children have an influence on outcomes can serve to inform teacher training
programs specific to prosocial socialization.
The Role of Race, Ethnicity, Sex, Friendship and Intervention on Prosocial Behaviors
The final goal of this study was to examine the role of demographic factors, peer
homophily, friendship and teacher interventions on prosocial behaviors using social network
analysis. This study was the first of its kind to use social networking analysis to examine the
shared characteristics and experiences between the prosocial actors in the preschool classroom,
particularly using naturalistic observation. Dyadic analyses revealed that paired teacher
intervention experiences and sex homophily were significantly related to prosocial behaviors in
conflict. Further, mutual friendship nominations were marginally associated with prosocial
behaviors. The evidence of homophily based on gender is consistent with expectations and
49

previous literature (Sackin & Thelen, 1984), particularly when considered in conjunction with
mutual friendships. Because existing literature indicates that same sex dyads are likely to interact
(Rubin, Bukowski & Parker, 2006), it stands to reason that conflict and subsequently prosocial
behavior would be more prevalent among peers who are similar in terms of sex.
The lack of association of race and age homophily with post-conflict prosocial behaviors
requires further investigation. Previous studies investigating age homophily emphasized these
behaviors during free play. Perhaps the mixed-age nature of preschool classrooms minimizes
these effects as all children interact, and as a result, have conflict with each other. Further,
conflict contexts might be the result of children of different ages interacting. It is possible that
the more separate preschoolers are in age, the more likely they are to be in conflict.
The only study to investigate prosocial behaviors using Head Start preschoolers and that
paid attention to racial/ethnic backgrounds, relied on teacher ratings, and did not focus on postconflict contexts (Spivak & Howes, 2011). In this study, racial/ethnic homophily was not a
statistically significant, however, there were prosocial dyads that were similar in terms of race
(Figure 4). Racial/ethnic homophily has not been found in previous literature, so perhaps
preschool children are more to align themselves according to sex, providing more opportunity for
conflict than those of similar racial or ethnic backgrounds. This could especially be the case in
racially diverse classrooms. Another explanation might be that preschool-age children are too
young for racial/ethnic homophily to be evident. Future research should continue to investigate
the association of age and race to prosocial behaviors in play states and after conflict to elucidate
age and racial patterns. Specific to race and ethnicity, future studies should investigate the role of
culture and cultural differences on the enactment of prosocial behaviors after conflict.
In this sample, teacher interventions were the most significant predictor of prosocial
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behaviors after conflict. These results were consistent with previous literature finding that
children‘s ability to resolve conflict increased with solicitation of teacher intervention (Chen,
Fein, Killen & Tam, 2010). Although, in this sample, the majority of conflicts ending with
prosocial behaviors had no intervention, these results might be indicative of the effect of
socialization via teacher intervention over time. Future studies might address this question by
conducting time-order analyses on teacher interventions after conflict events.
These results highlighting teacher intervention, and more broadly, teachers‘ socialization
of prosocial behavior after conflict have implications for future research on this subject. First,
these results call for a consideration of the role of teacher conflict intervention in preschoolers‘
natural conflict resolution. Where previous research has shown that teacher intervention has a
negative effect on preschoolers negotiation of conflict (Killen & Turiel, 1991) and continued
affiliative behaviors after conflict (Roseth, 2008), this study‘s findings suggest that teacher
interventions might help facilitate post-conflict prosocial behaviors. There might need to be a
balance between teachers‘ in-person involvement after conflict and children‘s own self-regulated
abilities to handle these prosocial outcomes on their own. Previous research has highlighted the
differences between teacher- and peer-directed prosocial behavior found that preschoolers were
more likely to emphasize friendship ties for these behaviors when only peers were involved
(Hay, 1994). Perhaps, the pursuit of relationship interests in conjunction with learning that occurs
during previous interventions, preschoolers are able to be prosocial after conflict. Continued
study on this subject will further elucidate this balance.
These results surrounding socialization speak to a larger question of the loci of conflict
resolution behaviors (i.e., whether they are the product of socialization or a natural
phenomenon). Although there may be a natural tendency for children to resolve conflict using
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these behaviors, as mentioned previously, a goal of Head Start is to socialize prosocial behaviors
in these preschoolers who are ―at-risk‖ for negative developmental outcomes. Contextualizing
prosocial behaviors within conflict resolution also allows for the examination of the influence of
the system on these behaviors. As a system, the Head Start classroom‘s microregulations shape
the behaviors of the children therein (Pianta, 1999). Conflict, and subsequently conflict
resolution can serve as microregulations that can further promote prosocial behaviors. Within the
context of conflict, teacher intervention can serve the purpose of socializing prosocial behaviors
as conflict resolution and influence children‘s development of the skills to not only maintain
positive relationships in the classroom after adverse interactions, but that are developmentally
appropriate for later social competence (Chen, Fein, Killen & Tam, 2001) and morality (Killen &
de Waal, 2000) in social relationships. Because Head Start seeks to promote these positive
developmental outcomes, researching the influence of all of the parts of the classroom system
allows for researchers and practitioners to better understand the mechanisms at play in the
development of conflict resolution using prosocial behaviors.
In this study, friendship was not significantly associated with post-conflict prosocial
behaviors. Previous literature investigating the correlation of friendship and prosocial behaviors
after conflict has found mixed results, hence, it is unclear if friends are more likely to be
prosocial after conflict than nonfriends. The lack of significance in this dissertation study aligns
with one previous study (Fujisawa, Kutsukake & Hasegawa, 2005) which might indicate that
preschoolers are more likely to use post-conflict prosocial behaviors to promote future
friendships than to preserve existing ones. Further research that emphasizes preschool children‘s
rationale for being prosocial with particular classroom peers would shed light on this issue.
Social network analyses indicated that there were no individual factors that predicted
52

prosocial behavior. These findings were surprising given previous work on the association of
race and sex on prosocial behavior, although the association of age on prosocial behavior was
less certain based on existing literature. For example, previous studies have indicated that
children of color show higher rates of prosocial behaviors than their White counterparts. Perhaps
the context conflict diminishes some of those effects. Further, previous research has also
indicated that girls show more prosocial behaviors than boys (Eisenberg, Fabes & Spinrad,
2006). Given the gendered stereotypes around doing things for others, perhaps preschool
children have not yet internalized these messages surrounding prosocial behavior.
An explanation for the insignificant relationship of individual demographic factors on
prosocial behaviors could be that previous literature focused on the individual giver. Perhaps
prosocial behaviors (in the context of conflict) would better be understood as a dyadic-level
phenomenon. For instance, while Mexican American children show more prosocial behaviors
than their White peers (Knight & Kagan, 1977b), these results might be different if the recipients
of those behaviors were not also Mexican American. There has been a call for studying prosocial
behaviors in the context of peer relationships (Eisenberg, Fabes & Spinrad, 2006), however,
more specifically, there should be continued investigation of how homophily within those
relationships facilitate prosocial behaviors. Future research on prosocial behaviors after conflict
would benefit from social network analysis to further understand the association of demographic
characteristics.
Limitations and Conclusions
This study has a few noteworthy limitations. First, although this study‘s sample took
place in the racially diverse setting and focusing on children from low SES backgrounds,
generalization to the larger population is a limitation of the study. The external validity is limited
53

because of the specific nature of the classrooms under observation, and Head Start classrooms in
this Midwestern city may be qualitatively different from those in other cities. Further, the oversampling of African American and Latino preschoolers is not representative of the United States
as a whole, further limiting generalizability.
Another limitation is the focus of behaviors and relationships in the classroom without
taking into consideration the extra-classroom factors that influence behavior. For instance,
parents and siblings act as socializing agents in preschoolers‘ lives. Without data on the
additional socializing agents in the preschoolers‘ lives, particularly the Black and Latino students
who are members of nondominant cultures, the story of their socialization is incomplete. Future
studies should consider the influence of family socialization and other family factors that could
influence prosocial behaviors. Further, this study investigated behaviors that might be culturally
centered. Although this study considered race as a demographic factor in prosocial behavior,
future work along these lines should consider how race extends beyond demographics, but also
includes culture (Lee, 2003). As such, future naturalistic observational studies on this behavior in
the context of conflict should systematically observe children in conflict within the home as well
as incorporate parental socialization of prosocial behavior in order to begin to capture cultural
influences on prosocial conflict resolution or incorporate parent reports of the cultural relevance
of prosocial behavior.
The last limitation of this study is that it lacks a measure of how prosocial the focal
children were during free play outside of the context of conflict. Perhaps the low frequency of
prosocial behaviors after conflict events is indicative of low overall prosocial behaviors among
these children at this point in development. The added emotional component of interpersonal
conflict might reduce the likelihood that prosocial behaviors occur. Future research building on
54

this work should examine prosocial behaviors within and outside conflict episodes for a more
complete understanding of prosocial behaviors in this population of preschoolers.
Despite the limitations discussed above, the results of this study have important
implications for researchers and practitioners. First, this study expands the existing
conceptualization of prosocial behavior by contextualizing these behaviors in conflict resolution.
By expanding the situations in which preschool prosocial behaviors occur, future studies can
continue to explore how different forms of social interactions influence the enactment of
prosocial behaviors. Further, social network analyses provided evidence that sex homophily has
a role on prosocial behavior after conflict and that dyadic experiences of teacher socialization
through intervention significantly predicts prosocial behavior. The latter finding is relevant to
teacher practice as early childhood educators seek to develop certain behaviors in the children
with whom they interact in the classroom system. The thematic analysis of teacher interventions
that emphasized prosocial behaviors provided further consideration of this socialization process.
Consequently, there is a need for continued research on the connection between teacher
intervention and prosocial behavior in preschool-aged children.
An additional contribution of this study is the emphasis of traditionally defined prosocial
behaviors after conflict. Existing research has investigated the role of conciliatory and affiliative
behaviors (including prosocial behaviors) after conflict (e.g., Roseth et al., 2010; Verbeek & de
Waal, 1997). However, this dissertation study attempted to bridge the conflict literature
highlighting prosocial behavior with the empirical studies that have looked at prosocial behaviors
after conflict episodes. This study also offers some consistency to the operationalization of
prosocial behaviors, a concern that has been voiced by previous scholars (Marcus, 1986). Future

55

studies should continue to clarify the behaviors under investigation as well as systematically
consider the nature of prosocial behaviors in the context of conflict.
Finally, this study contributes to the existing literature on prosocial behavior by focusing
on the prosocial behavior of children at the intersection ethnic minority and low socioeconomic
status. A concern of previous literature on prosocial behaviors was that the samples were racially
homogeneous and were from middle class backgrounds. Research on the behaviors of African
American and Latino children and those who live below the poverty line provides a more
thorough understanding of preschoolers‘ prosocial behaviors under different conditions. Further,
continued examinations of how African American and Latino children are prosocial after conflict
can further help eliminate the stereotype of decreased prosocial behaviors in these children.

56

Figure 1
Number of Prosocial Preschoolers by Classroom

10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
Class 1 Class 2 Class 3 Class 4 Class 5 Class 6 Class 7

57

Table 1
Frequency of Teacher Interventions
Teacher Intervention Type

Frequency

Percentage

Arbitrate

46

29.1

Mediate

31

19.6

Redirect/Separate

23

14.6

Model Reconcilation

15

9.5

Rule Enforcement

14

8.8

Gaze/Physical Presence

9

5.7

Prosocial Behavior-focused

6

3.8

Reprimand

3

1.9

Other

11

7

58

Figure 2
Teacher Interventions and Preschool Prosocial Behaviors by Classroom

30
25
20

Teacher Intervention

15

Prosocial Behaviors
10
5
0
Class 1 Class 2 Class 3 Class 4 Class 5 Class 6 Class 7

59

Figure 3
Teacher Interventions in Conflicts Ending in Prosocial Behaviors

40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
Intervention

No Intervention

60

Table 2
Demographic Characteristics, Homophily, Teacher Socialization, Friendship and Prosocial
Behaviors
Independent Variables

Prosocial Behavior

Level 1
Teacher intervention frequency

.031** (.02)

Mutual friendship nomination

.025 (.02)

Same race/ethnicity

.0001 (.01)

Same sex

.013* (.00)

Similar age

.0002 (.00)

Level 2
Race/ethnicity (White)

.01 (.00)

Age

.00045 (.00)

Sex

.0016 (.00)

Intercept

.026 (.02)

Note. Standard errors are in parentheses.
*p ≤ .05
**p ≤ .01

61

Figure 4
Frequency of Prosocial Dyads by Racial/ethnic Homophily
30
25
20
15
10
5
0

Black
Homophily

White
Homophily

Latino
Homophily

62

Biracial
Homophily

No Homophily

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