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Kids have a huge impact on their peers, finds study

ANI





When preschoolers spend time around one another, they tend to take on each other's personalities, indicates a new study by Michigan State University psychology researchers. The study suggests personality is shaped by environment and not just genes. “Our findings, which states that personality traits are contagious among children, flies in the face of common assumptions that personality is ingrained and can't be changed. This is important because some personality traits can help children succeed in life, while others can hold them back,“ said Jennifer Watling Neal, co-investigator on the study .

 

The researchers studied two preschool classes for an entire school year, analysing personality traits and social networks for one class of three-year-olds and another class of four-year-olds.Children whose play partners were extroverted or hard-working became similar to these peers over time. However, kids whose play partners were overanxious and easily frustrated did not take on these particular traits.

The study is the first to examine these personality traits in young children over time. The researchers deduced that kids are having a bigger effect on each other than people may realise.While parents spend a lot of their time trying to tell their child to be patient, be a good listener, among other things, it wasn't them who have an influence but their friends.





Source: Feb 05 2017 : The Times of India (NaviMumbai)

Link: http://epaperbeta.timesofindia.com/Article.aspx?eid=31840&articlexml=Kids-have-a-huge-impact-on-their-peers-05022017105037#