Two to four-year-old preschool children's peer interactions were observed during free
play. Positive, negative, and sustained peer interactions were coded as were the
initiating behaviors of these interactions including imitation. A curvilinear
relationship between age and imitation was noted with the three-year-olds engaging
in the greatest amount of imitation. The use of imitation as an initiator of
interaction also contributed to the greatest amount of variance on sustained interactions.
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