Two Approaches to the Concept of Dominance in Preschool Children

SLUCKIN, ANDREW M., and SMITH, PETER K. Two Approaches to the Concept of Dominance in Preschool Children. CHILD DEVELOPMENT, 1977, 48, 917-923. Aggressive incidents were observed in 2 preschool play groups. It was found that linear dominance hierarchies could be constructed for each group. Children were also questioned as to how they perceived the toughness of other children. Some, mainly older, children showed reliable agreement on a rank ordering for this characteristic. The rankings on perceived toughness correlated better with initiation of aggression than with observed dominance position. The findings are discussed in relation to the importance of social experience in children's cognitive development.