Previous research has investigated prosocial behaviors in the context of free play among preschool-aged children. However, few of those studies have investigated how children use these behaviors in the context of conflict resolution. Further, none of those studies has investigated this topic with an ethnically diverse sample or using children from low socioeconomic backgrounds. Using a naturalistic observation research methodology, this study examined prosocial behaviors after conflict. Specifically, this study examined the conflict outcomes after prosocial behaviors, the role of child demographic individual demographic characteristics and dyadic homophily on prosocial behaviors after conflict, whether friendship between formerly conflicting partners influences the enactment of prosocial behaviors and how teacher intervention promotes prosocial behaviors after conflict episodes. A total of 105 ethnically diverse Head Start preschoolers were observed and interactions among the children during free play were videorecorded for 9 weeks. Results indicated that prosocial behaviors after conflict were relatively rare. After prosocial behaviors, preschoolers were most likely to remain together after conflict and were more likely to reconcile than after conflict episodes with no prosocial behavior. Social networking analyses determined that prosocial behaviors were significantly associated with teacher interventions. Sex homophily and friendship were the second and third most salient factors in prosocial interventions, though not significant. Overall, these findings suggest that preschoolers negotiate their own natural conflict resolution strategies with those taught via conflict intervention. Further, the findings provide supporting initial evidence for continual exploration of the post-conflict prosociality of preschool children, particularly in those who are labeled "at-risk" as well as the factors that are related to the presence of prosocial behaviors in this population.
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