Peer Support Among Soviet Day Care Toddlers

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Abstract
The hypothesis that Soviet day care children (mean age = 25.44 months) derive emotional support from the presence of their group-mates was tested. Children were observed in a strange situation in one of three conditions: with a familiar peer (a groupmate), with an unfamiliar peer (a child from another group), or with no peer. An adult stranger was present during two of the three four-minute episodes. Results indicated that children with familiar peers were more comfortable than children with unfamiliar peers, who, in turn, were more comfortable than children with no peer. Differences between children with familiar and unfamiliar peers were most apparent while the adult stranger was absent. Children paired with unfamiliar peers, but not children paired with familiar peers, were upset by her departure. During all three episodes, children with no peer were more upset than children in either of the other two conditions.
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