The Effects of Friendship Promotion Activity Using Scripts on Children’s Peer Competence and Peer Interaction

This study aimed to investigate the effects of friendship promotion activities using scripts on children's peer competence and peer interaction. The study involved 24 aged 5 in the experimental group and 26 in the control group. The intervention, consisting of friendship promotion activities using scripts, was implemented over 8 weeks. Peer competence and peer interaction were assessed before and after the intervention, and the collected data were analyzed using Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) to evaluate the effectiveness of the program. The results indicated statistically significant differences in peer competence between the experimental and control groups. Specifically, significant improvements were observed in the sub-domains of sociability, prosocial behavior, and initiative. Regarding peer interaction, significant differences were found in the sub-factors of play interaction and play interference, though no significant difference was observed in play disconnection. These findings suggest that script-based friendship promotion activities positively impact children's peer competence and interactions. The study highlights the educational value of such activities for fostering friendships among young children.