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Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the privileged character of interactions between preschool friends and to attempt to define the features entering into their specificity. Eighteen same-sex triads (9 male and 9 female) aged 4.0 to 5.0 were videotaped without their knowledge in a familiar room of their school without adult presence. Each triad was composed of a dyad of friends plus a third partner, all three classmates. They were observed with two sets of ten categories of matching objects. Six indices were defined: (1) holding and appropriation of objects; (2) competition to hold objects; (3) offering of objects; (4) physical proximity between partners; (5) frequency of verbalisations; (6) expressions of satisfaction. The findings confirm the principal hypothesis that the privileged character of interactions between friends is maintained in a triadic situation when a third partner is present.

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Friendship among Preschool Children

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