The Role of Inanimate Objects in Early Peer Interaction

JACOBSON, JOSEPH L. The Role of Inanimate Objects in Early Peer Interaction. CHILD DEVELOPMENT, 1981, 52, 618-626. The Mueller and Lucas hypothesis that social interaction among peers develops as a by-product of object-centered contact was examined in a sample of 23 infants, who were observed at 10, 12, and 14/, months of age. 2 laboratory free-play sessions were held at each age: 1 with a familiar and the other with an unfamiliar peer. Manipulative play with toys was the predominant activity at all ages. With regard to social interaction, brief exchanges in which no common toy was involved were the mode at 10 months, while longer interactions during object-centered play became most prevalent by 142 months. Surprisingly, long social interactions were more frequent in play sessions with unfamiliar peers. The Mueller and Lucas hypothesis was not supported in that (a) early social interaction occurred most frequently in a non-object-centered context and (b) long social interactions emerged simultaneously in object-centered and non-object-centered contexts between 10 and 12 months. Although peer social interaction does not originate in an object-centered context, object-centered play may enhance its development during the second year.