Effects of Triadic Interaction on Performance of Five-Year-Old Disadvantaged Children

Summary —To test the hypotheses that 5-yr.-old children in triads would accomplish more work and persevere longer on a construction task than when working alone and that the performance of triads of girls would be superior to that of boys, 12 girls and 12 boys, 5 yr. old and enrolled in day care centers, were given experience with a construction task and testing materials. Each child was first tested individually and then tested on a different day in randomly composed same-sex triads. Time persisted was significant (p = .01) in favor of individual working conditions and the girls. The boys, however, used more blocks in less time than the girls. Observation indicated that these 5-yr.-olds have very limited skills for working cooperatively in three-person groups.