Young children's cooperation and conflict with other children

Early forms of cooperation and conflict feature regularly in young children's interactions with other people. However, these two types of social interaction are only rarely studied together in the same sample. In this chapter we review studies of cooperation and conflict in children under 3 years of age, with a particular focus on peer interaction. Only a few studies examined cooperation and conflict in parallel. To illustrate how conflict and cooperation can be studied simultaneously, we present findings from a longitudinal study of social development, in which previously unacquainted toddlers were observed during laboratory birthday parties. These analyses revealed that the two types of interaction are positively associated and provide opportunities for young children to refine their social skills.