Food‐sharing among young children†

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Abstract
A study of food‐sharing among young children in a non‐experimental setting is reported. Boys and girls aged 5–8 years attending a city day camp were observed for a two‐week session. On the basis of daily observations of children in dyads, each child was ranked by the amount of his equal (peer) and unequal (dominant) relations with other members of his group. The nature, amount, and direction of food sharing was observed, and the relationship of equal and dominant behavior to food‐sharing activity was considered. Not only did girls tend to share food more often than boys, but they also tended to share food with more other children. The implications of these findings for the development of friendships and cliques among young children are discussed, and the importance of food exchange for children in peer groups is considered.

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