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Girls and boys develop different value systems during early adolescence. For girls, popularity with peers assumes high priority, while for boys popularity seems to be secondary to other values established in childhood. A study was conducted to examine the relationship between popularity and adjustment, as measured by self-image, for adolescent boys and girls. Data were obtained on 106 suburban adolescents who participated in a larger longitudinal study of adolescent adjustment and development. Subjects rated self-perceptions of peer group acceptance during the spring of seventh grade. In the fall of eighth grade, subjects completed the Self-Image Questionnaire for Young Adolescents. The results showed that popularity was more consistently related to adjustment (self-image) for girls than for boys. Gender differences were observed with regard to four aspects of self-image: emotional tone, body image, coping and mastery, and (less) psychopathology. Popularity was significantly related to these aspects of self-image for girls, but not for boys. The analyses showed that perceptions of low popularity were related to low self-image on these four scales for girls, but not for boys. (Six figures of data are included.) (Author/NB)

A study examined the social status of the members of the social sets of preschool children. For 8 weeks, interactions of 3- and 4-year-olds were observed in 8 classrooms. Interaction scores were standardized, and members of each social set were identified as popular, average, or unpopular. Findings indicated that for 3- and 4-year-olds, 39% and 47% respectively of the social sets consisted of same-status peers. The majority of social sets consisted of similar status peers. A total of 9.1% of the social sets consisted of low social status peers only, with 76.5% of the unpopular children being in social sets with higher status peers. Similarity of social status within social sets tended to increase with age. Thus, subsystems based on social status may begin to emerge in preschool, and provide different socialization experiences for different children. Stability of social status increases with age, as do similarity of social status and cohesiveness within the social sets. Therefore, late preschool may be a critical time for intervention strategies that take into account the social milieu of the child. (RH)

Research questions addressed were: (1) Do homogeneous rejected groups of children score higher on antisocial behavior and aggression than mixed-status groups? (2) Are rejected children less antisocial and aggressive when playing with same-status peers than with other-status peers? (3) Are rejected children as disliked for being aggressive in homogeneous rejected groups as in mixed-status groups? Two waves of data collection each consisted of a sociometric screening phase and a play sessions phase. Based on sociometric scores in Wave I, 114 kindergarten and 117 first-grade boys were selected to participate in four play sessions in triads, creating a total sample of 231 boys and 77 triads. Triads were either homogeneous rejected, heterogeneous or mixed, or homogeneous popular. In Wave II, a year after Wave I, the selected boys' status was determined in their new classes, and 70 of the original 77 triads participated in four play sessions. Each session consisted of a cooperative, a competitive, and an unstructured game. All sessions were videotaped and coded for social behavior. In individual interviews, boys evaluated their own and their play partners' social behaviors. Three sets of analyses were performed using adult ratings of antisocial behavior, objective codings of aggressive acts, and post-play peer ratings for liking versus disliking. Results are discussed and tables and figures are attached. (RH)

A study examined (1) whether there is a significant difference between the inclusion needs of delinquent high school girls, high-achieving nondelinquent high school girls, and nondelinquent high school girls; (2) whether there is a difference between perceived inclusion by peers and teachers in these groups of females; and (3) whether there is a relationship between inclusion by peers or by teachers in early school settings and later delinquency. Subjects completed surveys measuring expressed and wanted aspects of inclusion, control, and affection. Results indicated that there were no significant differences in the inclusion needs of the three groups of females. Delinquent high school girls reported significantly less satisfaction with perceived inclusion by peers and by teachers than the nondelinquent high school girls. There awas no significant difference in the perceived inclusion by peers between the delinquent high school girls and the high achieving high school girls. If delinquent girls experience less satisfaction with perceived inclusion from peers and teacher, then something could be done in the schools to modify this situation. (SRT)

Friendship patterns and sociometric status of 27 young preschoolers with a mean age of 39 months were assessed naturalistically. Subjects were more likely to show positive reactions to the emotions of their friends than to those of their acquaintances, thus demonstrating the affective basis of early friendships. No differences were found between non-positive reactions to friends' versus acquaintances' emotions. Children more often picked as a friend demonstrated greater affective knowledge, showed more happy and angry emotional displays, helped and shared more in response to peers' emotions, and ignored more in response to acquaintances' emotions. Controversial, isolated, rejected, average, and popular children differed on emotions and reactions to peers' emotions. Observational measures for friendship and sociometric status appear advantageous for use with children at this age. (Author/RH)

The study looked at differences between groups of children identified as high visibility rejected (HVR) and low visibility rejected (LVR) on a sociometric measure with 952 fourth, fifth, and sixth grade students. Questionnaires were analyzed to determine the number of positive and negative nominations from peers received by each child. HVR children (N=49) received many nominations, with the number of negative nominations outweighing the number of positive nominations, while LVR children (N=50) received few nominations, with negative nominations also outweighing positive nominations. Parents and teachers also rated the students in each group on specific social skills and general behavior problems and the identified children also rated themselves. The major finding was that HVR children were generally rated as having poorer social skills, more conduct problems, and more withdrawal than LVR children who were rated as having more social and behavioral problems than a comparison group. Other findings included that both groups of rejected children often preferred to do activities alone or with an adult rather than with same age peers, in contrast to comparison children who more often preferred doing activities with same age peers. Contains five references. (DB)

This longitudinal study examined the differences between extremely popular children and their peers, and the persistence of the patterns of differences. Teachers identified 19 extremely popular children in kindergarten through sixth grade. These students were compared with 38 randomly selected children from the teachers' classes. A multitrait-multimethod analysis demonstrated that teachers accurately chose extremely popular children. Independent observer and peer nominations, but not student self-ratings, confirmed teacher accuracy. Popular children tended to be more adept in intellectual ability, social-emotional control, social skills, and physical competence. Six years later, the 10 extremely popular students and 9 randomly selected students still in the schools were reexamined. When compared to their classmates in secondary school, the extremely popular children were still popular but did not maintain the extreme popularity they had in grade school. Some teacher ratings from grade school correlated with self-ratings. Peer nominations did not show the same strong patterns of relationships among the various personality characteristics found earlier. (Author/RJC)

Examined whether generalization about prosocial style of well-accepted children applies to conflicts involving rights infraction. Interviewed fourth- and fifth-graders about strategies for handling situations in which a peer infringes on their rights. Found that well-accepted children were neither aggressive nor particularly prosocial in conflict situations; they responded with verbally assertive strategies, unlike low-accepted children, who relied on adults. (EV)

Studied peer acceptance, social status, and social reputation in children attending mixed-age programs. Found that younger children were less well-accepted and more likely to be nominated by peers as shy, while gender (but not age) affected aggressiveness. Also found that at the primary level, girls were more likely to be nominated as shy. (EV)

Examined the social goals and beliefs involved in adolescent peer relationships among 266 ninth-grade students. Factor analysis of questionnaire responses identified relevant goals (intimacy, nurturance, dominance, leadership, popularity, and avoidance) and beliefs (sincerity, status, responsibility, caring, entertaining, and toughness) concerning peer relationships and meaningful connections between goals and beliefs. (MDM)

The Self-Esteem Index (SEI), designed to assess self-esteem in school-age children and adolescents, is composed of four self-esteem subscales: Perception of Familial Acceptance, Perception of Academic Competence, Perception of Peer Popularity, and Perception of Personal Security. Discusses these subscales and makes recommendations regarding the administration of the SEI. (KW)

Examines Chinese adolescents' rankings of peer social status and differences between United States and Chinese adolescents in predictors of social success, to challenge the dominance hierarchy model of peer relations being based on physical traits. A total of 111 Beijing students were ranked by 300 classmates on measures of social status. Findings show social rank correlated mainly with intelligence, but also with physical attractiveness. (GR)

Reviews research in the area of worries and concerns of young people and the relevance to programs of personal development and social education. Identifies and prioritizes general areas of adolescent concern and discusses the possible influence of culture, gender, age, and type of school. (MJP)

Used the Revised Class Play to assess dimensions of peer reputation among two cohorts of ninth-grade, inner-city students. Found that popularity, isolation, aggressive/disruptive reputation, and prosocial orientation generally showed expected patterns of associations with students' adjustment, with the exception that aggression was linked with popularity and isolation was linked with academic success. (EV)

Examined the relationship of kindergartners' to second graders' dispositional sympathy to individual differences in emotionality, regulation, and social functioning. Found that sympathy was associated with relatively high levels of regulation, teacher-reported positive emotionality, and general emotional intensity; and, especially for boys, high social functioning and low levels of negative emotionality, including physiological reactivity to a distress stimulus. (Author/DR)

Examined the existence of friendship and friendship network characteristics among 227 fifth- and sixth-graders who differed in popularity status. Found that all children reported having at least one unilateral friend, while unpopular children were less likely than popular children to have at least one reciprocal friend. (MDM)

Data from 742 parents of adolescents revealed that about half the parents chose friendly behavior towards classmates and strong personality as the most important factors contributing to popularity, followed by high grades, acceptance by the opposite sex, and physical attractiveness. Parents chose high grades and desire to pursue higher education as sources of stress. (JPS)

Examines correlates of perceived popularity among black middle school students versus other groups. Survey responses from 24,024 eighth graders, their parents, teachers, and school administrators shows that, except for black females, athletic status yielded stronger correlations with perceived popularity. For black females, the strongest predictor was academic status. Socioeconomic background and grades were significant predictors for whites and Hispanics. (GR)

The social status of fifth and sixth graders was determined using the peer nomination method and ratings by teachers. Out of 143 students, 16 were classified as popular, 17 as rejected, and 62 as average. A combination of social behavior and demographic variables accurately classified social status. (SLD)

Examined the relation between peer relationships in 6th grade and the number of sexual partners in 10th grade for 77 boys. Found that peer rejection in sixth grade was associated with number of sexual partners four years later; peer acceptance was also associated with number of sexual partners, but for different reasons. (HTH)