The cooperative-competitive behavior of children in Papua New Guinea was assessed by two experimental techniques that have previously been used within other countries to demonstrate ethnic differences. The results of Experiments 1 and 2, in which the Madsen cooperation board was used, indicate significantly more cooperation between children of an intact tribe than between children in a heterogeneous urban setting. In Experiment 3, the marble-pull apparatus was used to assess the cooperative interaction of children from ten sites which varied in tribal intactness, degree of western contact, and urbanization. The results demonstrate the significance of primary group identification as a determinant of cooperative behavior.
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