Children's use of the masu form in play scenes

The present study discusses child-child interactions in play scenes, which provide a unique opportunity for discovery because child-child play scenes, unlike the caregiver-child interactions illustrated in previous studies, allow for greater role flexibility. The discriminating use of the two forms by the subjects according to social roles chosen in the scenes suggests that by the age of 3, Japanese children have acquired tacit sociocultural knowledge of appropriate usage. This study demonstrates the fundamentals of style-mixing using the two forms and suggests that children are selective and active participants in language practices.