“I’m so happy you’re playing with me”: A mixed methods approach to exploring how temperament predicts peer engagement

This study explores how preschoolers with different temperamental traits experience peer engagement, and whether a new qualitative tool provides additional information about peer interactions to existing measures. Using data from a sample of 106 children (44.8% males) participating in a larger National Science Foundation project, quantitative analyses provided evidence that temperamental traits predicted peer engagement; children with higher effortful control, lower surgency/extraversion, and lower negative affectivity were perceived by teachers to be more interactive and less disruptive. Qualitative observations on a subsample of four temperamentally diverse children provided data which revealed inhibition in children who may be quantitatively rated as easygoing and how they can thrive with particular supports, the effect of preferred peers on high surgency/extraverted children and how calming spaces/activities can help them constructively engage with peers, and finally the significance of detecting quiet negative affect, which is often overlooked. The importance of understanding context and content of peer interactions for children with different temperamental traits is also discussed, especially for practical application in the classroom.

Name thesis:degree_name

M.S.

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Educational Psychology

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2020

Author dc:creator

• Banerjee, Sanchari

Contributors dc:contributor

• Bub, Kristen L

• Temperament
• Peer engagement

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2020 Sanchari Banerjee

Language dc:language

en

Handle dc:identifier

http://hdl.handle.net/2142/108411

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/108411