Children's concepts of authority and social contexts.

Examined children's concepts of authority with regard to type of authority directive and social context. 10 boys and 10 girls in kindergarten–2st, 2nd–4th, and 5th–6th grades were presented with hypothetical situations in which a school principal issues directives to children in 3 contexts outside of their school: (1) a different school, (2) a public park, and (3) a child's home. Directives were aimed at stopping or allowing fighting or ball playing and making a rule against fighting or ball playing. Children's evaluations of the legitimacy of the principal's actions were assessed. In general, Ss rejected the principal's authority outside the jurisdiction of the school, although kindergarten–2st grade Ss were more likely to accept the principal's rule making or stopping children from playing ball in the park. Results show that children conceptualize authority with respect to social position and within the bounds of specific social contexts. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)