Teacher intervention and U.S. preschoolers' natural conflict resolution after aggressive competition

Abstract

The role of teacher intervention in preschoolers' peer conflicts is controversial, with one view suggesting that children should resolve conflicts on their own, and another that socialization accounts for conflict resolution's development. This study strives to clarify this issue using a short-term longitudinal, observational design to examine teacher intervention and 91 preschoolers aggressive competitive conflict. By delimiting the form of conflict, the study examines whether the role of teacher intervention varied by conflict behavior (e.g., physical and verbal aggression) and the form of conflict resolution. Results support the view that teacher intervention disrupts the conflict resolution cycle, especially in terms of preschoolers' on-going interaction and using alternatives to temporary separation. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.