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Published on: January 18, 2013
The constructive role of gender asymmetry in social interaction: further evidence
1Department of Psychology, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus. cpsaltis@ucy.ac.cy
Abstract:
Two hundred and sixty-four children aged 6.5-7.5 years (first graders) took part in a pre-test, interaction, and post-test experiment working on a spatial transformation task known as the 'village task'. Cognitive progress was assessed by pre- to post-test gains in both an immediate and delayed post-test in dyads and individual participants as a control. The results indicate clear links between particular pair types with both communication processes and with learning and cognitive developmental outcomes. The present study demonstrates that gender can act as a source of status asymmetry in peer interaction to influence communication, learning, and cognitive development in same- and mixed-sex dyads.
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