Physical interaction among children that starts with being imitated: Focusing on developmental features of 3- and 4-year-olds

In order to ascertain the factors that lead to physical interaction among young children, this study analyzed examples of physical interaction that started with a child who was being imitated. Specifically, this study focused on ascertaining the developmental features of 3- and 4-year-olds. This study found that: 1) Physical interaction that starts with being imitated is present even at the age of 4 but is less evident than it is at the age of 3. 2) A child\u27s awareness that he or she was being imitated, i.e. modeled, differed in 3-year-olds and 4-year-olds. Three-year-olds tended to enjoy repeatedly acting in concert or in sync with others. In contrast, 4-year-olds were consciously aware that others were imitating them. Their strategy was to provide a model that others would imitate, which led to physical interaction. 3) Three-year-old acted upon desires at either extreme, i.e. wanting to do something and not wanting to do something, and these actions affected the increase in physical interaction. In contrast, 4-year-olds were somewhat aware of their own desire to do something. This desire becomes evident in different actions, seemingly indicating volition. However, this desire has not been adequately reconciled with the desire not to do something. This lack of reconciliation renders physical interaction inconsistent