Temperament and friendship in preschool-aged children

The influence of three components of temperament ( activity level, impulsivity, and soothability) on children's friendships was investigated. Children ( 40 girls, 35 boys) aged 43 to 69 months responded to a sociometric interview and teachers provided temperament ratings. The probability of children choosing particular classmates as friends was evaluated based on the genders and temperaments of the dyad. A logistic choice model revealed that the choice of friends is highly influenced by gender, high impulsivity, and high soothability. Furthermore, the gender of the chooser and the activity level of the friend interacted such that girls chose low activity level friends and boys chose high activity level friends. In addition, the likelihood of a child being chosen as a friend based on gender and temperament was significantly correlated with popularity for girls, but not for boys.