Understanding others, and individual differences in friendship interactions in young children

Links between individual differences in 4-year-olds' social understanding, language abilities, temperament, behavioral adjustment and family backgroun d and the quality of their interaction with a close friend were investigate d. 64 pairs of friends were filmed playing together on two occasions, and e ach child tested on a battery of assessments of theory of mind, emotion und erstanding and language. Teachers and mothers reported on children's adjust ment and temperament respectively. There were marked differences in childre n's interactions with their friends; the sociocognitive abilities and behav ioral characteristics of both child and friend contributed significantly to cooperative shared pretend, to low frequency of conflict and to successful communication between friends, behavioral adjustment and family background also contributed independently, to friendship quality. The similarity, bet ween friends in behavioral adjustment and sociolinguistic skills was notabl e.