The effect of role-taking training on role-taking and social behaviors in young children

The hypotheses of this study were that role-taking training would increase (1) role-taking skills and (2) relative amount of peer interaction as compared with adult interaction. Forty-two pre-school children were subjects, selected on the basis of egocentric scores on a battery of two spatial role-taking and two conceptual role-taking tasks. Subjects were assigned to experimental, placebo, and non-treatment control groups. Experimental and placebo subjects were observed for social interactions. Experimental intervention was a 2-month program of 24 training lessons. Placebo subjects participated in story groups. Results were that experimental subjects increased significantly in spatial role-taking only, although changes in conceptual scores were in the predicted direction. Trend level differences in the predicted direction were found for measures of relative preference for peer interaction.