1 Psychology and human development1.12 Stages of human development
1.12.6 Social competence and relationships with peers
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Written by Resident Doctor Committee · Published
Social competence
Social competence is the balancing of one's own aims with other people's needs. Peer relationships give practice in mutual interaction and are associated with later adjustment.
Development of peer play
Peer play develops in a sequence, and rule-governed play, meaning games with shared rules, emerges last.
Age | Peer play |
|---|---|
2 to 3 years | Parallel play alongside others |
3 to 4 years | Associative play with shared materials |
4 to 6 years | Cooperative play with shared goals and roles |
From about 5 years | Rule-governed games |
Parten's forms of play overlap rather than replace one another.
Behaviour with peers at about age 3
Tantrums, poor sharing, non-compliance and emotional lability are developmentally normal at about age 3.
Persistent, frequent and harmful fighting with other children at this age is outside the expected range and suggests an emerging conduct problem.
Imaginary companions
Imaginary companions are a common, normal feature of early childhood.
The picture is normal when the child knows the companion is pretend, plays with it playfully, stays in control and functions normally.
Imaginary companions call for reassurance, not investigation or referral.
Peer acceptance
Sociometry measures whom children like or dislike as companions.
Status | Nominations |
|---|---|
Popular | Many positive, few negative |
Rejected | Many negative, few positive |
Neglected | Few of either |
Controversial | Many of both |