The early development of sex-differentiated patterns of social influence.

Abstract
The verbal social influence styles of 3- and 5-yr-old boys and girls were studied. Children (74) were obsreved in their preschool classrooms, for 36 min each, over the course of several months. Boys emitted a greater number of influence attempts than girls, and this was almost entirely due to their greater use of direct forms of requests. This sex-differentiation in the use of direct requests became more pronounced with age. Girls increased their use of indirect forms of influence between the ages of 3 and 5. Success of peer influence attempts towards boys decreased with age from 3 to 5, especially attempts of the indirect type, while success of attempts towards girls remained relatively stable with age. Girls'' direct requests were more successful towards same-sex than opposite-sex peers. These patterns are discussed in terms of the role they might play in prepetuating the rigidity with which children establish same-sex groups during the preschool period.