Teacher and peer responsivity to pro-social behaviour of high aggressors in preschool

Naturally occurring aggressive and pro-social behaviour among 12 preschool children was examined in relation to teacher and peer responsiveness. A standardized real-time direct observational protocol was used in the context of a repeated measures design to measure the frequency and sequences of aggressive and pro-social behaviour of target children. Teacher and peer responses to target children's pro-social and aggressive behaviour were also measured. Based on the summary-level analysis of the frequency data, children were categorized as high and low aggressors. Based on the sequential-level analysis, teachers were more likely to respond to the pro-social behaviour of low rather than high aggressors. Peers were equally likely to respond to pro-social behaviour from target children in either category. These results indicate that early aggressive behaviour in a preschool context may negatively influence the likelihood of positive social exchanges with teachers and suggest the importance teacher response may have in relation to early aggression.