The Relation between Preschoolers’ Intentional Understanding and Their Conflict Resolution Skills

• In Event: Poster Session 5
  In Poster Session: Children Engaged in Early Childhood Environments

Abstract

Few studies have examined how children’s intentional understanding relates to their conflict resolution strategy choice. Children’s intentional understanding is of interest because intentions play a causal role in motivating actions such that they are predictive of others’ behavior (Baird & Astington, 2005). The present study addressed whether preschoolers’ intentional understanding could account for children’s differential use of self- and other-oriented resolution strategies. The results of the present study indicate that some preschoolers are able to take on others’ perspectives, but there is insufficient evidence to support the hypothesis that children with more advanced levels of intentional understanding would exhibit more other-oriented strategies. Future studies may consider how the interaction amongst different mental states understanding relates to children’s resolution skills.

Authors

• Patrick Pieng, University of California - Santa Barbara

• Ani Dzhidaryan, University of California - Santa Barbara

• Yukari Okamoto, University of California - Santa Barbara