Transitive inferences using both a linear dimension (A is longer than B) an
d a nonlinear dimension (A and B are friends) were examined. In Study 1, 6-
to 9-year-old children received two problems of each kind. Performance sho
wed similar developmental progressions but nonsignificant correlations betw
een the two tasks. Study 2 extended these results by modifying the linear t
ransitivity problem and adding variation in both context and type of social
relation. Children 7, 9, and 11 years of age were given problems requiring
judgments about friendship and about nonfriends (children who were quarrel
ing with each other) in two different social contexts. No correlations were
found between social judgments and judgments concerning length. Both type
of relation and context influenced judgments about social relations. These
results suggest that children possess two distinct strategies for making tr
ansitive judgments that correspond to the logical structure of the underlyi
ng relations. (C) 1999 Academic Press.