Effects of peer mediation with young children on autonomous behavior

The authors investigated the effect of the Peer Mediation with Young Children (PMYC) program on autonomy behavior of children trained to be mediators and on children mediated by trained peers. Previous findings have revealed higher levels of mediational teaching style and higher cognitive modifiability, a trait we believe to be associated with autonomy. The sample was composed of 40 pupils (20 pairs), randomly assigned to experimental or control groups (10 pairs each). The mediator in each pair was from third grade and the learner from first grade. The experimental children received instruction in the PMYC program, whereas the control children received general preparation for peer-assisted learning. Following the PMYC intervention, both groups participated in a peer-mediation condition. The interactions were videotaped and analyzed by the Observation of Autonomy Behavior Protocol. Experimental group children (mediators and learners) received significantly higher scores on autonomy behavior criteria than did the control group children.