OBSERVATIONAL ASSESSMENT OF YOUNG CHILDRENS SOCIAL-BEHAVIOR WITH PEERS

Understanding the social goals of young children during interaction wi th peers and the behavioral strategies they select to achieve those go als has both theoretical and practical implications. A convergence acr oss theoretical and conceptual frameworks supports the development of a new generation of observational methodology designed to assess socia l goals and behavioral strategies of young children. The purposes of t his article are to describe the role of observational research in the assessment of children's peer-related social competence; examine the c onceptual frameworks that serve as a foundation for observational asse ssment of young children's social goals and behavioral strategies; des cribe the technological advances that allow more descriptive, precise, and complex behavioral codes for observational assessment and data an alysis; provide an example of an observational system that assesses ch ildren's social goals and behavioral strategies; and identify the prac tical implications of studying young children's social goals and behav ioral strategies.