This study, which focused on the social behavior of 4-year-old children toward peers and adults, investigated relationships of 54 children in California and Japan who were observed for 20 minutes while they were playing in preschool or day care. All their behaviors during the first 30 seconds were observed and written down during the second 30 seconds, and behaviors related to peers and adults were classified according to psychological distance. Results indicated that: (1) the children played beside peers, joining psychologically into peer groups; (2) Japanese children exhibited more one-way behavior with no response, while American children exhibited more group behavior; (3) day care children exhibited more one-way behavior, whereas preschool children exhibited more sympathetic behavior; (4) there were few sex differences in interaction behavior; (5) Japanese children initiated more behavior toward adults, while adults initiated more interactions with the American children; (6) one-way behavior decreased with age for all children, although individual behavior remained high; and (7) American children related more freely to other children and were more advanced in relationship formation than were Japanese children. (Author/SKC)