This research examines cross-cultural differences in the social behavior of American and Indonesian children. A sample of 36 Indonesian children (27 boys and 9 girls) were observed in a neighborhood of Jakarta during outdoor play activity, and 36 American children (18 girls and 18 boys) matched for age with the Indonesian children were observed in Los Angeles, California. Children of both samples were observed for four 5-minute periods using a continuous-coding observational procedure that recorded the presence and order of preselected social behaviors, ratings of social play level, and the subject's affect. Sex and age of play group companions and play activity content and context were also noted. Multivariate analysis showed cultural differences in age composition of the play groups. Indonesian children tended to interact in mixed-age groups. However, children in both cultures tended to interact in same-sex groups. Results also supported Hartup's hypothesized symmetrical-asymmetrical nature of same- and mixed-age social interaction.
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