On winning some and losing some: A social relations approach to social dominance in toddlers

Abstract

Predictors of social dominance and the effects of social dominance on the play behavior of young children (N = 16, ages 1.4 to 3.2) were studied. The children were observed in multiple interactions (N = 74) with multiple partners to explore individual-level effects and effects due to individual-partner interactions (i.e., a social relations approach). Social dominance was expected to mediate individual-level attributes and social behavior and the mediation was expected to be moderated by the degree of familiarity between individuals. Multiple-group path analyses of the mean and covariance relations broadly supported these hypotheses. These findings have both developmental and evolutionary implications, especially in light of the age of the participants.