[Preschoolers' understanding of characteristics of their friends' behavior: prediction of friends' behavior and behavioral intention toward friends].

These studies examined preschoolers' understanding of characteristics of friends. "Friends" were defined as children of the same sex who chose each other as good friends, and "acquaintances" were those who knew each other but did not mutually chosen. In Study 1, 30 five- to six-year-old children were asked how they expected their friends and acquaintances to behave toward them in various situations, such as play, help, and trust situations. It was found that they tended to expect their friends in play and trust situations to behave more kindly than their acquaintances. In Study 2, they were asked how they themselves would behave toward their friends and acquaintances in the same situations. They replied that they would behave more kindly toward their friends than toward their acquaintances in all the situations. These results were interpreted as preschoolers showing a consistent understanding of their friends' behavior, as well as a clear comprehension of reciprocity in their relationship with their friends.