Peer Interaction and Problem Solving: When Are Two Heads Better Than One?

AZMITIA, MARGARITA. Peer Interaction and Problem Solving: When Are Two Heads Better Than One? CHILD DEVELOPMENT, 1988, 59, 87-96. 80 5-year-olds participated in 4 sessions in which they built a replica of a Lego model. During the first session, children's building competence was assessed. Based on their performance, children were classified as either expert or novice builders. Children then participated in 2 sessions in which they built alone or with a partner. There were 3 types of dyads: novice, expert, and mixed ability (expert-novice). Their performance was compared with that of novice and expert singletons. In the final session, children's ability to copy 2 new models was assessed to determine whether they generalized the skills acquired during interaction. Collaboration was more conducive to learning than independent work, and children were able to generalize their skills. However, these conclusions were qualified by the fact that children's expertise and that of their partners, the acquisition of task strategies, the quality of verbal discussion, children's tendency to observe and imitate their partners, and experts' tendency to provide guidance mediated learning.