ABSTRACT
Far more than any other species, humans seem programmed to form relationships with others, to rely on their relationship partners for support and assistance in times of trouble and to derive a sense of well-being from the relationships they create and cultivate. On the most fundamental level, human beings are driven to engage in sexual cooperation. The needs of children also reveal a biological preparedness to cooperate. In all human societies, there is a long period of child rearing, which requires a cooperative relationship between child and caregiver long before the child is capable of being taught how to form relationships with others. Infants are ready to feed, interact and relate to their mothers from very soon after birth (Argyle, 1991). Babies’ actions are coordinated both actively with the caregivers from birth onward (Hartup, 1996). Research suggests that cooperation between children begins to emerge at approximately two years of age, at the latest. Some of the cooperative behaviours that emerge include general abilities aimed at coordinating interaction around a set goal, behaving reciprocally and communicating effectively (Brownell and Brown, 1992). In addition, cooperative problem-solving, evidenced by children coordinating their actions with those of other children in order to achieve an otherwise unattainable goal, occurs quite frequently among 24-montholds (Brownell and Carriger, 1990).
