Search

The study aimed to identify the level of social competence and investigate the differences due to the type of academic difficulty, grade, and academic level. To achieve the goal of the study, the descriptive method was used. The sample consisted of (120) of elementary school students with learning difficulties in the City of Hail. To achieve the goal of the study, the Social Competence Scale, with its two dimensions (relationship with others and self-control), was prepared. Findings indicated that the level of social competence among the students with learning difficulties, and its two dimensions, was high. The dimension of the relationship with others came in first place, followed by the self-control dimension. The results revealed, also, that there were no statistically significant differences in the social competence of students with learning difficulties due to differences in the (type of academic difficulty, grade, and academic level) . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Loneliness is a perceived deficit in social relationships that is nested within broader cultural meaning systems. This longitudinal study examined predictors of loneliness in Chinese and U.S. children with the hypothesis that peer relationship parameters (number of friends, social preference, and popularity) mediate the associations between behavior qualities and loneliness differently across countries. Fifth‐grade Chinese (n = 576, Mage = 10.58 years) and U.S. (White, Black, Asian, n = 540; Mage = 10.23 years) children completed two waves of assessment within an academic year. Shyness and athletic competence more strongly predicted loneliness for U.S. children, and academic ability, and aggression more strongly predicted loneliness for Chinese children. Popularity was a mediator for U.S. children but not Chinese children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Schools around the world are increasingly diverse in ethnicity. Given the importance of peer acceptance in children's well‐being and development, it is a pressing concern for educators to promote intergroup acceptance in schools. Aims: First, to examine the developmental trends of acceptance of outgroup members in both the ethnic minority and majority students. Second, to investigate how outgroup acceptance is subject to the interplay between perceived norm of prejudice, a risk factor in the macrosystem, and teacher support, a protective factor in the microsystem. Sample: The participants were 3,723 students (ethnic majority: 61%; boys: 51.9%; mean age: 13.7) at Grade 2, 5, 8, and 11 from 24 schools in Hong Kong. Methods: The students were asked to complete a battery of questionnaires regarding their willingness to accept outgroup members in schools, perceived societal norm of prejudice against ethnic minority group, and teacher support they received in schools. Results: It was found that ethnic minority students accepted outgroup members more than ethnic majority students accepted them. The difference was primarily driven by the low outgroup acceptance of ethnic majority students in Grades 2 and 5. The results of multi‐level analysis revealed that outgroup acceptance was associated negatively with perceived norm of prejudice but positively with teacher support. The negative association between outgroup acceptance and perceived norm of prejudice was attenuated in schools with supportive culture. Conclusions: The results point to the need of early intervention and the importance of cultivating school culture with strong social emotional support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The self‐concept of children has an impact on later behavioural development and psychopathology; therefore, evidence of the accurate measurement of self‐concept is important. Harter and Pike's (1984, Child Development, 55, 1969) commonly used measure of self‐concept, the Pictorial Scale of Perceived Competence and Social Acceptance for Children, has demonstrated varying evidence of its construct validity and reliability, particularly with preschool‐ or kindergarten‐aged participants. Aim: To examine the measurement properties of the Acceptance and Competence measures, and to substantiate the measures' adequacy within the latter participant age range. Sample: One hundred and ninety‐seven preschool or kindergarten‐aged children (M = 5.40 years, SD = 0.30) provided data as part of the Animal Fun study over three measurement periods. Methods: The study conducted a pair of Rasch analyses on the Acceptance and Competence measures described prior, with adherence to the assumptions of univariate measurement, item fit, item invariance, and response category adequacy examined as part of these analyses. Results: While the Acceptance measure demonstrated adequate reliability outside of some potentially misfitting items, the study identified several limitations for the Competence measure, including potential gender‐based and verbal IQ‐based response biases. Conclusions: Practitioners and research applications of these subscales may benefit from the response recoding recommendations provided in this study for the Acceptance measure, as they improved the measure's properties. The study provides potential solutions to item adequacy concerns, and avenues for future research, involving these measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Working memory performance, important for children's learning, can be influenced by social interactions. The current study investigates whether parent and teacher support buffer the negative effect of peer rejection on working memory performance, using an experimental approach. Children from third to sixth grade (aged 8–14; n = 412) filled out questionnaires and completed an experiment. Working memory performance (Corsi Task Backwards) was measured at the beginning of the experiment. Next, peer rejection was manipulated (Cyberball Task), followed by a manipulation of parent and teacher support (audio message) and a posttest measure of working memory. There was no main effect of peer rejection and parent or teacher support. Social acceptance did moderate the buffering effect of teacher support for working memory performance. Teachers should be aware of the role of their relational support for children's cognition and learning. Highlights • Working memory is important for children's learning. • Social experiences shape children's cognition and working memory. • Peer rejection negatively impacts working memory for children feeling socially accepted. • Teachers can buffer this negative effect for children feeling socially accepted. • Teacher support has a negative effect on working memory for children not feeling socially accepted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extensive evidence has documented the gender stereotypic content of children’s media, and media is recognized as an important socializing agent for young children. Yet, the precise impact of children’s media on the endorsement of gender-typed attitudes and behaviors has received less scholarly attention. We investigated the impact of stereotypic and counter-stereotypic peers pictured in children’s magazines on children’s gender flexibility around toy play and preferences, playmate choice, and social exclusion behavior (n = 82, age 4-7 years-old). British children were randomly assigned to view a picture of a peer-age boy and girl in a magazine playing with either a gender stereotypic or counter-stereotypic toy. In the stereotypic condition, the pictured girl was shown with a toy pony and the pictured boy was shown with a toy car; these toys were reversed in the counter-stereotypic condition. Results revealed significantly greater gender flexibility around toy play and playmate choices among children in the counter-stereotypic condition compared to the stereotypic condition, and boys in the stereotypic condition were more accepting of gender-based exclusion than were girls. However, there was no difference in children’s own toy preferences between the stereotypic and counter-stereotypic condition, with children preferring more gender-typed toys overall. Implications of the findings for media, education, and parenting practices are discussed, and the potential for counter-stereotypic media portrayals of toy play to shape the gender socialization of young children is explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is considerable evidence that externalizing disorders such as attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) put youth at risk for a range of adverse academic outcomes. It is importantly to note that some youth avoid these negative outcomes, yet there is a gap in our understanding of these resilient youth. The purpose of this study was to longitudinally evaluate social acceptance and social skills as potential protective factors of the associations between inattentive, hyperactive/impulsive, and oppositional defiant behaviors with academic outcomes. Participants included a sample of 93 middle school students comprehensively diagnosed with ADHD. Parents and adolescents completed ratings of social skills and perceived social acceptance. School grades and teacher-rated academic impairment were assessed 18 months later as longitudinal academic functioning outcomes. Inattention and social acceptance were associated with academic outcomes 18 months later. Regression analyses revealed that parent- and adolescent-rated social acceptance demonstrated promotive effects for grades and against teacher-rated academic impairment. Further, social acceptance significantly interacted with inattention in predicting school grades, such that high parent- and adolescent-rated social acceptance significantly attenuated the relationship between inattention and poor grades, even after controlling for baseline grades and intelligence. The presence of social acceptance was especially critical for adolescents with high levels of inattention. Specifically, adolescents with high inattention and high social acceptance had a mean grade point average of 2.5, and adolescents with high inattention and low social acceptance had a mean grade point average of 1.5. These findings demonstrate that social acceptance may be an important intervention target for improving academic outcomes among adolescents with ADHD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. We designed and validated a Self-Esteem Scale for Catalan and Venezuelan schoolchildren, with the joint aims of both examining its psychometric properties and emergent factors, and comparing its behaviour between the two communities. Method. Data collection was conducted twice: a pilot (300 schoolchildren) and a final test (636 schoolchildren aged from 6 to 9 years). Results. A factor analysis (principal component analysis) of the Catalan sample conformed a final instrument with 19 items organized into 4 factors: Social acceptance, Negative emotions, School satisfaction, and Self-assessment. A confirmatory factor analysis was conducted on the Venezuelan sample, and the method of maximum likelihood estimation suggested a good fit (CFI = 0.94; RMSEA = 0.039). Conclusions. The factors emerging from the scale suggest different dimensions of self-esteem at the beginning of school age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To explore the impact of social acceptance on quality of life among orthopedically disabled students from special and inclusive institutes. Methodology: Sample composed of 150 orthopedically disabled students from special (n= 75) and inclusive institutes (n= 75) of Sargodha, Rawalpindi, Khushab and Jhelum districts from December, 2014 to June, 2015 and was selected through purposive sampling technique. WHO Quality of Life Scale (Urdu version)1 and Scale of Social Acceptance were used as study tools. Results: Age range students was 12 to 35 (M= 17.11 ±4.71) years. Social acceptance was a strong predictor of quality of life among physically disabled students of special institutes show-ing the beta value (ß= .54, t= 5.5, p <.001). Social skill was the most significant component of social acceptance in positively predicting quality of life showing the beta value (ß= .69, t= 8.52, p< .001). Student behavior and peer attitude sub-scales was found to be non-significant predictors of quality of life. Significant mean differences were found in QoL {t (148)= 2.80, p <.006} where students from inclusive institutes have high level of QoL as compared to special institute students (M= 80.66 ±16.73). Significant differences were also observed on physical {t (148)= 2.95, p <.004} and psycho-logical functioning {t (148)= 3.35, p <.001}. . Conclusion: Student from inclusive institutions tend to have better quality of life and social acceptance as compared to those from special institutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to investigate the differences between identified gifted adolescents and adolescents not identified as gifted in terms of social acceptance and self-concept (peer relations, academic, and general). In addition, we aimed to investigate the differences between two groups of students identified according to different identification criteria (i.e. intelligence test and teacher assessment), and whether the relationship between students’ giftedness and the indicators of their social adjustment was moderated by gender. A total of 404 Slovenian elementary school students (191 males; 47%, 213 females; 53%) participated in the study; among them 85 (21%) were identified as gifted. No significant differences were found between gifted and non-gifted students in positive sociometric nominations and social preference; gifted students received less negative nominations and had lower social impact, but were assessed as more socially accepted by their teachers. Gifted students reported higher academic and general but not peer relations self-concept. No differences in social acceptance and self-concept were found between the groups of gifted students identified with regard to different identification criteria. In addition, we found significant interaction effects between gender and giftedness for peer relations self-concept. The results indicate the importance of investigating individual differences among gifted students in future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

We investigated the influence of teacher feedback on the social acceptance of peers with intellectual disabilities and peers without disabilities. A computer task was administered to 601 students in grades 3 and 4. Twenty-six per cent of the students attend an inclusive school; the others are in regular schools without students with special educational needs. Participants are introduced to ‘new’ virtual classmates, one student with Down syndrome (DS), and one control student with no obvious disability. Additionally, teacher feedback and feedback about fun playing with the new classmates is given. Social acceptance is evaluated by asking if one would like to sit next to him/her. Both feedbacks showed a strong effect. The child with DS was less socially accepted than the child without disability. No difference regarding the social acceptance of the students with DS was found between students from inclusive and regular classes. Students from regular classes rate the social acceptance of the student without disabilities significantly higher than students from inclusive classrooms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, I draw on observations from sexual health workshops in an elementary school classroom in Vancouver, Canada and friendship pair interviews with four boys who attended the workshops. I examine how the educators organising the workshops constructed sexual health, highlighting their reliance on both a ‘gay is okay’ and a scientific discourse. I argue that by locating their discussion of homosexuality within a values framework and striving to depict gay relationships as acceptable, they simultaneously constituted homosexuality asrequiringacceptance. Likewise, by subsuming references to heterosexuality within their lesson on (hetero)sexual reproduction, they framed heterosexuality as an always already accepted scientific fact. Having set the scene in this way, I then explore the ways the boys both took up and deviated from these discourses when constructing their own narratives. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper explores feminist philosopher Sara Ruddick's concept of ‘maternal thinking’ and considers the applicability and use of her ideas for early childhood pedagogy. This is illustrated through a small-scale case study, undertaken in early years settings in England, in which three dimensions of maternal thinking are evidenced in the work of early years practitioners: preservation of the child, fostering the growth of the child and the child's social acceptance. We argue that ethics of care are central to an articulation of contemporary early childhood pedagogy and must be advanced through engagement with students of early childhood in higher education (HE). This practice is demonstrated in a second case study, reporting a participatory research project with university students. Care-full values, practice and thinking are vital in order to challenge the status quo and emphasise early childhood pedagogy as important work towards the creation of a more equitable and sustainable society. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Empirical data on the effects of inclusion regarding the social participation of typically developing students and those with special educational needs are still controversial. While some studies suggest that the more extensive the inclusion, the higher the social position of students with special educational needs, evidence from other studies indicates that the full inclusion of students with special educational needs into ordinary schools is not sufficient, per se, to increase their social participation. In this study, we set out to investigate the social position of students with special educational needs and typically developing students studying in regular classroom environments in Italian primary and secondary schools. Given that being accepted is far from the same as being chosen, besides examining rates of acceptance and rejection, we also considered the choices made by students regarding their favourite classmates. The results demonstrated that students with special educational needs are significantly less accepted and are very rarely chosen as favoured classmates by their typically developing counterparts. The theoretical and practical implications of these results are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Whereas much is known about the deficits in social behaviors and social competence in youth with social anxiety disorder (SAD), less is known about those characteristics among youth with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). This study aimed to better elucidate the social repertoire and peer acceptance of youth with SAD and youth with GAD, relative to normal control (NC) youth. The sample consisted of 58 primarily Caucasian children, ages 6 to 13 years: 20 SAD (12 female), 18 GAD (12 female), and 20 NC (9 female). Diagnoses were based on Anxiety Disorders Interview Schedule for DSM-IV: Children and Parent Versions interviews. A multimodal assessment strategy included parent and child reports, observer ratings of social performance, computer-based analysis of vocal qualities of speech, and peer ratings of likeability and friendship potential. Whereas self- and parental report did not differentiate the two diagnostic groups, differences on observable behaviors were apparent. Children with SAD exhibited anxious speech patterns, extended speech latencies, a paucity of speech, few spontaneous vocalizations, and ineffective social responses; they were perceived by peers as less likeable and socially desirable. Children with GAD had typical speech patterns and were well liked by their peers but displayed fewer spontaneous comments and questions than NC children. Parent and child reports are less sensitive to what could be important differences in social skill between youth with SAD and GAD. Direct observations, computer-based measures of speech quality, and peer ratings identify specific group differences, suggesting the need for a comprehensive evaluation to inform treatment planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Requesting an object or information is a basic and ubiquitous activity in human interactions, but the sequential organization of this activity varies considerably across speech communities. In line with the Language Socialization approach, this paper inquires into (1) how children formulate their acceptance of object requests made by caregivers, (2) the role of the requested object in request–accept sequences, and (3) the distinctive features of object requests in Japanese caregiver–child interactions (CCIs). Based on video data of Japanese caregiver–child (aged 0–5 years) interactions, we conducted an interaction analysis of conversations involving object transfer. The results revealed that the features of request–acceptance sequences are shaped by (1) the trigger of the object request, (2) the features of the requested object, (3) timing, bodily orientation, and the manner of transferring the requested object. By engaging in object request sequences, caregivers not only made reciprocal communication more effective but also set and modified the frame of their activity. The study also revealed that object request sequences are the place of negotiation for both children and caregivers with respect to (re)constructing the appropriate morality of Japanese culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A personal narrative is presented which explores the author's experience of social acceptance she struggled with pituitary abnormality.

In light of the decline in social acceptance of walking and biking to school, there is a critical need to examine issues impacting school transportation decisions and to identify strategies to promote healthier behavior. In urban areas with high volume freight corridors, factors affecting school walking decisions can be complicated by increased truck and rail traffic. This paper presents findings from a study of urban neighborhoods in a major southeastern city, including those that are adjacent to freight corridors. Perceptions of neighborhood residents are compared in the context of existing infrastructure and network characteristics (urban vs. urban freight-centric). The results provide insight into factors influencing school transportation decisions in urban environments, and highlight discrepancies between perceptions and actual issues relevant to child pedestrian safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives. We tested the hypothesis that sleep training would improve emotional, social and behavioural functioning in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) compared to children with ADHD without such intervention and to healthy controls. Methods. Forty children with ADHD were randomly assigned to intervention and control conditions. Parents of 20 children with ADHD were instructed and thoroughly supervised in improving their children's sleep schedules and sleep behaviour. Parents of the other 20 children with ADHD and parents of 20 healthy children received general information about sleep hygiene. At baseline and 12 weeks later, parents and children completed questionnaires related to children's sleep and psychological functioning. Results. Relative to the control groups, children in the intervention group improved sleep quantitatively and qualitatively ( F values < 3.33, P values < 0.05). The intervention group children reported improvements in mood, emotions, and relationships ( F values < 2.99, P values < 0.05). Parents reported that their children improved in physical and psychological wellbeing, mood, emotions, relationships, and social acceptance ( F values < 3.02, P values < 0.05). Conclusions. Training and monitoring parents of children with ADHD in regulating and supervising children's sleep schedules leads to positive changes in the emotions, behaviour and social lives of these children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goals of this short-term longitudinal study were to investigate differential, independent effects of inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity on children's peer relationships and the dynamic, transactional interplay between ADHD symptoms and indices of peer functioning over time. This study used a community sample that included 739 preadolescents (239 fourth graders and 500 fifth graders; 52.23 % boys) from northern Taiwan, who were assessed every six months at three time points. Children's ADHD symptoms were measured using the parent report on the Swanson, Nolan, and Pelham, version IV scale. Positive and negative facets of peer functioning, including peer rejection, peer acceptance, and the number of friendships, were assessed via peer nomination. Results of cross-lagged models indicated that inattention, but not hyperactivity/impulsivity, predicted subsequent peer impairment (i.e., lower peer acceptance and fewer dyadic friendships). Findings also showed a vicious cycle in which inattentive symptoms predicted later peer impairment, which in turn led to increases in both inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity. These findings did not differ across gender, and the majority of the findings remained significant even after controlling for age and physical aggression. Taken together, this study demonstrated the detrimental effect of inattention on children's peer functioning and the transactional and dynamic interplay between inattention and peer impairment in a Chinese culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transition from primary to secondary school challenges children's psychological well-being. A cross-transitional longitudinal study (N = 306; mean age = 12.2 years) examined why some children's self-esteem decreases across the transition whereas other children's self-esteem does not. Children's expected social acceptance in secondary school was measured before the transition; their actually perceived social acceptance was measured after the transition. Self-esteem and Big Five personality traits were measured both pre- and posttransition. Self-esteem changed as a function of the discrepancy between children's expected and actually perceived social acceptance. Furthermore, neuroticism magnified self-esteem decreases when children's 'hopes were dashed'-when they experienced disappointing levels of social acceptance. These findings provide longitudinal support for sociometer theory across the critical transition to secondary school. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Understanding adolescents׳ perceptions of peers with depression is vital in order to tackle peer exclusion and lessen stigmatization. To examine adolescents׳ perceptions of a hypothetical peer with depression, we test an attributional model: that stigma towards persons with mental disorders is influenced by attributions about the causes of their disorders and inferences of personal responsibility. Participants were 401 adolescents from 4th year/10th grade with an age range of 14.75–17.08 years (M=15.90 years; S.D.=0.403 years). Structural Equation Modeling was employed to assess the relationships among causal attributions (personal control), perceived responsibility, and emotional reactions, in predicting social acceptance/exclusion of a peer with depression. Results indicated that (a) if the peer with depression is perceived as having little control over the cause of depression, responsibility is not inferred, participants feel sympathy and pity, and are likely to socially accept the peer (b) gender of vignette character and participant influence these responses. This study builds on our theoretical understanding of why adolescents with depression may face social exclusion from peers by applying a well‐established theory in social psychology. Findings should be incorporated into the design of interventions aimed at reducing peer exclusion and stigmatization of adolescents with depression. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The report presents some of the results from a sociometric study of interpersonal relations among fourth, sixth, and eight grade pupils in multi - ethnic school classes. The aim of the study was to identify the children at risk for early dropout on the basis of low level of popularity among their classmates. The pupils with low social acceptance from classmates will be at higher risk for early school dropout. The moderating role of ethnicity as a variable in school dropout predicting model is also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Being recognized as a competent and accepted member in the peer group is one of the most important basic human needs for children and youth. However, it is the peer group itself that decides which competencies are estimated and which are not, and through this process, a social order as well as peer power constellations is created. Purpose: This study aimed to determine if and how sport motor competencies are used as a criterion for the experience of recognition or non-recognition among peers in physical education (PE). Therefore, a mixed-method study was conducted. Data collection: The data set includes video data from six different school classes (a total of 59 video sequences) and 40 video-stimulated recall interviews with children who experience non-recognition or with children who transmit non-recognition. In addition, sociograms were included, as well as PE teachers' ratings of their students' sport motor competencies. Findings: A correlation analysis shows that sport motor competencies and the sociometric position in the peer group are significantly intercorrelated (r = 0.50,p ≤ 0.01). But a gender-differentiated analysis reveals that this finding is only valid for boys in their boys' peer group (r = 0.60,p ≤ 0.01), not for girls in their girls' peer group. The analysis of the video data based on the sociogram, interview, and sport motor rating data as validation methods identifies three contexts in PE classes where children refer to sport motor competencies to transmit recognition or non-recognition: (1) Children with relatively better motor skills draw attention to children with relatively poor motor skills in a humiliating manner by using publicizing strategies. The motor deficits of the concerned children are obviously focused upon on the social stage of the class. (2) Sport motor accidents can commonly happen to anyone regardless of the sport motor competencies offering an opportunity for practices of differentiation: sport motor accidents of popular children are positively focused upon and celebrated, even in competitive situations, while sport motor accidents of unpopular children in competitive situations lead to publicly demonstrated anger and to the loss of their positions and functions. Children use these situations as an opportunity to demonstrate social networks and affiliation borders as they do in the third context. (3) The social validation of sport motor successes is not only the recognition of good performance of a classmate, but also the acknowledgment of being significant for the successful student, as successful students only accept the recognizing acts of selective classmates; social relationships are publicly demonstrated. In conclusion, sport motor competencies play an important role in the everyday struggles of children for recognition in their peer group. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The purpose of this study was to describe children’s engagement during two (high and low) autonomy-based climates. Twenty-five preschool children participated in a nine-week object control skill intervention. Children completed the object control subscale of the Test of Gross Motor Development 2nd Edition and the perceived physical competence subscale of Harter and Pike’s Pictorial Scale of Perceived Competence and Social Acceptance (1984). Skill attempts were tallied by video analyses. A skill attempt was considered appropriate if the movement was consistent with the correct execution of the skill and the goal of the task. Findings indicate (a) no significant difference in appropriate skill attempts between each climate, (b) no significant difference in appropriate skill attempts of low- and high- skilled children in each climate, (c) regardless of climate, children improved in object control percentile and low-skilled children improved significantly more than high-skilled children, and (d) high-autonomy group children significantly improved in pre- to post- intervention on perceived competence compared to the low-autonomy group, regardless of skill level. High-autonomy climates provide variations of task difficulty that may promote the development of perceived physical competence of preschool children. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In this study we aim to evaluate and compare the social context of acceptance and rejection of typically developing and children with a label of special educational needs SEN. Our purpose was to discover the strengths which could be used to support children with SEN, and the weaknesses (inappropriate behaviour, influential factors, social and psychological causes) which need to be considered in order to buffer and prevent the negative consequences of rejection and prejudicial attitude. By revising and comparing the literature of rejection and prejudice on typically developing and children labelled with SEN, we concluded that the latter are different from typically developing peers on some aspects of the causes and primary consequences of rejection. However, secondary and long term consequences are similar for typical and disabled children. Effective buffering techniques and strategies used in child social psychology are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Sex differences in children''s play patterns during middle childhood are thought to promote greater awareness of social acceptance among girls compared with boys. The present study posited that girls are more discerning of peer acceptance than are boys; however, these sex differences were predicted to vary depending on how discrepant perceptions were assessed (i.e., inaccuracy versus bias). Additional differences were expected if children perceived acceptance by same- versus opposite-sex peers. Participants were 912 third through fifth graders (420 girls and 492 boys). Consistent with predictions, boys were more inaccurate than girls, but only for perceived acceptance by same-sex peers. As expected, girls were more negatively biased than boys, but only for perceived acceptance by opposite-sex peers. Results did not support the hypothesis that boys have more positively biased perceptions of peer acceptance than girls. Overall, these findings raise important issues regarding the evaluation of children''s discrepant self-perceptions of peer acceptance. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This study presents a novel task examining young children's affective responses to evaluative feedback-specifically, social acceptance and rejection-from peers. We aimed to determine (1) whether young children report their affective responses to hypothetical peer evaluation predictably and consistently, and (2) whether young children's responses to peer evaluation vary as a function of temperamental shyness and gender. Four- to seven-year-old children ( N = 48) sorted pictures of unknown, similar-aged children into those with whom they wished or did not wish to play. Computerized peer evaluation later noted whether the pictured children were interested in a future playdate with participants. Participants then rated their affective responses to each acceptance or rejection event. Children were happy when accepted by children with whom they wanted to play, and disappointed when these children rejected them. Highly shy boys showed a wider range of responses to acceptance and rejection based on initial social interest, and may be particularly sensitive to both positive and negative evaluation. Overall, the playdate task captures individual differences in affective responses to evaluative peer feedback and is potentially amenable to future applications in research with young children, including pairings with psychophysiological measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Researchers typically employ either peer or self-reports to assess involvement in bullying. In this study, we examined the merits of each method for the identification of child characteristics related to victimization and bullying others. Accordingly, we investigated the difference between these two methods with regard to their relationship with social adjustment (i.e., perceived popularity, likeability, and self-perceived social acceptance) and internalizing problems (i.e., anxiety, depression, and self-worth) in 1192 Dutch school children, aged 9 to 12years. Perceived popularity and likeability were more strongly correlated with peer reports than self-reports, for both victimization and for bullying others. Self-perceived social acceptance correlated equally strong with peer and self- reports of victimization. Furthermore, peer reports of bullying were also correlated with self-perceived social acceptance, whereas self-reports of bullying were not. All internalizing problems showed stronger relations with self-reports than peer reports; although only the relation between self-reported victimization and internalizing problems was of practical significance. Despite our findings indicating that using only one type of report could be efficient for examining the relation between bullying behaviors and separate child characteristics, both types of report are necessary for a complete understanding of the personal and social well-being of the children involved. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Sharing is a fascinating activity of the human species and an important basis for the development of fairness, care, and cooperation in human social interaction. Economic research has proposed that sharing, or the willingness to sacrifice own resources for others, has its roots in social emotions such as sympathy. However, only few cross-sectional experiments have investigated children's other-regarding preferences, and the question how social-emotional skills influence the willingness to share valuable resources has not been tested. In the present longitudinal-experimental study, a sample of 175 6-year-old children, their primary caregivers, and their teachers is examined over a 3-year period of time. Data are analyzed by means of growth curve modeling. The findings show that sharing valuable resources strongly increases in children from 6 to 9 years of age. Increases in sharing behavior are associated with the early-developing ability to sympathize with anonymous others. Sharing at 7 years of age is predicted by feelings of social acceptance at 6 years of age. These findings hold after controlling for children's IQ and SES. Girls share more equally than boys at 6 and 7 years of age, however, this gender difference disappears at the age of 9 years. These results indicate that human sharing strongly increases in middle childhood and, that this increase is associated with sympathy towards anonymous others and with feelings of social acceptance. Additionally, sharing develops earlier in girls than in boys. This developmental perspective contributes to new evidence on change in sharing and its social-emotional roots. A better understanding of the factors underlying differences in the development of sharing and pro-social orientations should also provide insights into the development of atypical, anti-social orientations which exhibit social-emotional differences such as aggression and bullying behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Perceived social acceptance, theory of mind (ToM) and social adjustment were investigated in 45 children with intellectual disabilities (ID) compared with 45 typically developing (TD) preschoolers, matched for developmental age assessed by means of the Differential Scales of Intellectual Efficiency – Revised edition (EDEI-R, ). Children''s understanding of beliefs and emotions was assessed by means of ToM belief tasks () and ToM emotion tasks (). Seven items from the Pictorial Scale of Perceived Competence and Social Acceptance for children (PSPCSA, ) assessed children''s perceived social acceptance. Their teachers completed the Social Adjustment for Children Scale (EASE, ). For both groups together, the results showed that perceived social acceptance mediates the relation between ToM skills and social adjustment. The presence or absence of intellectual disabilities does not moderate the relations either between ToM skills and perceived social acceptance, or between perceived social acceptance and social adjustment. The study did not confirm the difference hypothesis of structural and relational patterns between these three processes in children with ID, but instead supported the hypothesis of a similar structure that develops in a delayed manner. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

It has been claimed that excessively positive self-perceptions of competence are a key risk factor for concurrent and subsequent impairments in youth with attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). We examined whether girls with ADHD demonstrate positive illusory self-perceptions in scholastic competence, social acceptance, and behavioral conduct domains. We then tested, across a five-year longitudinal span, whether (a) such self-perceptions versus (b) the constituent informant ratings or test scores were more strongly predictive of adolescent impairment and positive adjustment. Participants included an ethnically diverse sample of 140 girls with ADHD and 88 comparison girls, aged 6-12 at baseline ( M = 9.0, SD = 1.7). Girls with ADHD rated themselves as more positive than indicated by external ratings, but these self-reports were still in a negative direction (comparison girls rated themselves as less positive than these indicators). ADHD subtypes were not related to discrepancy scores. Higher rates of depression symptoms were associated with attenuated discrepancy scores. Crucially, measures of actual competence were more strongly associated with adolescent impairment and positive adjustment than were 'illusory' self-perceptions for girls with ADHD. Our findings challenge the view that, at least in girls with ADHD, overly positive and 'illusory' appraisals of competence are strongly associated with future impairment and adjustment. The key psychometric point is that, in difference or discrepancy scores, the individual components of such scores should be separately examined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Social rejection is associated with a wide variety of negative outcomes. Early identification of social rejection and intervention to minimize its negative impact is thus important. However, sociometric methods, which are considered high in validity for identifying socially rejected children, are frequently not used because of (a) procedural challenges, (b) community apprehension, and (c) sensitivity to missing data. In a sample of 316 students in grades K through 8, we used receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analyses to compare the diagnostic efficiency of several methods for identifying socially rejected children. When not using least-liked nominations, (a) most-liked nominations yielded the greatest diagnostic efficiency (AUC=.96), (b) peer ratings were more efficient (AUC=.84 to .99) than teacher ratings (AUC=.74 to .81), and (c) teacher report of social status was more efficient (AUC=.81) than scores from teacher behavior rating scales (AUC=.74 to .75). We also examined the effects of nominator non-participation on diagnostic efficiency. At participation as low as 50%, classification of sociometric rejection (i.e., being rejected or not rejected) was quite accurate (κ=.63 to .77). In contrast, at participation as high as 70%, classification of sociometric status (i.e., popular, average, unclassified, neglected, controversial, or rejected) was significantly less accurate (κ=.50 to .59). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

necdotally and empirically, there is clear evidence that children with the Combined subtype of Attention-deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) experience disturbed peer relations, yet the field has not clearly established the origin of these difficulties. This is the first known investigation to examine the role of peer entry as a means to determine the social competence of boys with ADHD as they joined lab-based games played by age-mates who were good friends but unfamiliar with entry boys. Observational data of entry boys and their hosts, plus coders' ratings, indicate that 7- to 12-year-old boys with and without ADHD did not differ in the use of competent entry strategies known to lead to acceptance from peers. However, boys with ADHD relied more heavily on incompetent entry strategies (e.g., disruptive attention-getting) known to exacerbate negative peer reputation. In addition, they failed to apply a frame-of-reference that was relevant to host boys' ongoing activity. As such, host boys considered boys with ADHD less likeable as they spent more time with them. This pattern of findings has theoretical implications and informs the foci of social skills interventions for children with ADHD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

School belonging, measured as a unidimensional construct, is an important predictor of negative affective problems in adolescents, including depression and anxiety symptoms. A recent study found that one such measure, the Psychological Sense of School Membership scale, actually comprises three factors: Caring Relations, Acceptance, and Rejection. We explored the relations of these factors with negative affect in a longitudinal study of 504 Australian Grade 7 and 8 students. Each school belonging factor contributed to the prediction of negative affect in cross-sectional analyses. Scores on the Acceptance factor predicted subsequent negative affect for boys and girls, even controlling for prior negative affect. For girls, the Rejection factor was also significant in the prospective analysis. These findings have implications for the design of interventions and are further confirmation that school belonging should be considered a multidimensional construct. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This population-based study investigated self-perception of social acceptance in children with emotional or behavioral disorders, and whether their perceptions were in line with parent/teacher reports of peer relationship problems. Children with behavioral disorders ( n = 145) emotional disorders ( n = 118), and a comparison group ( n = 4,344) were selected from an 11-13-years-old population ( n = 5073). Children with emotional disorders reported poorer social acceptance than children with behavioral disorders, also when adjusted for parent/teacher ratings of peer problems, confirming the negative self-perception reported in previous clinical studies. Self-perceptions of children with behavioral disorders were lower than in the comparison group and not inflated according to parent/teacher reports. The results emphasize the importance of peer-relations in both disorder groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within the framework of constructivism, and more specifically personal construct psychology, the current research aims at exploring self-construction and interpersonal relationships of juveniles living in residential communities. It proposes a method of doing so that is coherent with the framework adopted. Repertory grids were used with 59 youths, ages 9 to 20 years, and 176 significant others (father, mother, houseparent, and a teacher or employer); interpersonal distances were measured. Identification with others and an authority, perceived change, self and social acceptance, social negativity, self-fulfillment, commonality, and sociality led to the discrimination of different profiles that indicate different (inter)personal configurations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper draws on data from a research project investigating gendered identities and interactions of high-achieving students in Year Eight in England (12-13 years old), particularly in relation to students' 'popularity' amongst their peers. As part of this study 71 students were interviewed from nine different schools in urban, rural and small town locations. From an analysis of participants' conceptions of the characteristics of 'popular' and 'unpopular' students, this paper looks in depth at notions of in/authenticity and how it is perceived and judged in relation to the self and others. In particular, the paper focuses on the genderedness of such discourses of in/authenticity as constructed by these students, and relates such concerns to theorizations of 'impossible' femininity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

School-related difficulties are commonly associated with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This article describes effective school-based intervention strategies including behavioral interventions, modifications to academic instruction, and home-school communication programs. One overlooked aspect of treatment of children with ADHD is the need to form partnerships among school professionals who can work collaboratively on interventions for children with ADHD. Approaches to developing effective collaboration between teachers and school psychologists are presented. Multiple treatment strategies implemented in a consistent fashion across school years can optimize the school success of students with ADHD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: An experimental methodology was used to test hypotheses concerning the effects of contextual, cognitive–developmental, and individual difference factors on children’s views of whether they have been the target of gender discrimination and the possible consequent effect of such views on two forms of state self-esteem: performance and social acceptance. Children (N =108, 5–11years of age) completed theory of mind and gender attitude measures and a drawing task. Next, children received feedback that was designed to appear either gender biased (discrimination condition) or nonbiased (control condition). Children’s attributions for the feedback and state self-esteem were assessed. As expected, children reported having been the target of gender discrimination more often in the discrimination condition than in the control condition. Older and more cognitively advanced children made fewer attributions to discrimination than their peers. Perceptions of discrimination were associated with higher performance state self-esteem and, among egalitarian children, lower social state self-esteem. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The objective of this investigation was to examine whether children''s responses to peer victimization predict subsequent changes in their social and emotional well-being. Also investigated was whether these associations vary as a function of children''s sex and level of victimization. Participants included 420 4th- and 5th-grade students (197 boys). Data included children''s self-reports of their responses to peer victimization in the Fall and measures of their socioemotional adjustment obtained in the Fall and Spring. Results indicated that there are a number of tradeoffs associated with children''s responses to peer victimization. Seeking other''s support was predictive of decreased aggression among children infrequently victimized, but was also predictive of increased internalizing difficulties. Avoidant coping predicted improved social adjustment for boys, but declines in social adjustment for girls. Retaliation was associated with increased social maladjustment, but for highly victimized children, predicted decreases in anxiety. Implications for intervention efforts are discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Ekornås, B., Lundervold, A. J., Tjus, T. & Heimann, M. (2010). Anxiety disorders in 8–11-year-old children: Motor skill performance and self-perception of competence. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 51, 271–277. This study investigates motor skill performance and self-perceived competence in children with anxiety disorders compared with children without psychiatric disorders. Motor skills and self-perception were assessed in 329 children aged 8 to 11 years, from the Bergen Child Study. The Kiddie-SADS PL diagnostic interview was employed to define a group of children with an anxiety disorder without comorbid diagnosis, and a control group (no diagnosis) matched according to gender, age, and full-scale IQ. Children in the anxiety disorder group displayed impaired motor skills and poor self-perceived peer acceptance and physical competence compared with the control group. Two-thirds of the anxious boys scored on the Motor Assessment Battery for Children (MABC) as having motor problems. The present study demonstrated impaired motor skills in boys with “pure” anxiety disorders. Anxious children also perceived themselves as being less accepted by peers and less competent in physical activities compared with children in the control group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three aspects of young children's social cognition - accurate encoding of social cues, hostile attributions and response access/generation - were assessed among 128 children (64 girls) attending three-, four-, and five-year-old classrooms (ages ranged from 36 to 73 months). Hostile attributions and the quality of strategy generation were both significantly associated with teacher-rated peer competence and aggressiveness, even when children's receptive vocabulary scores and age were controlled. For girls, hostile attributions, but not cue encoding or response generation, was associated with teacher ratings of competence and aggression. For boys, hostile attributions were associated with teacher ratings of competence, and response generation was associated with teacher ratings of competence and aggression. Regression analysis, controlling for sex, age and receptive vocabulary, revealed that both hostile attributions and the quality of social strategy generation, but not encoding of cues, made unique, significant contributions to the prediction of teacher ratings of competence and aggression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This experiment tested whether peer approval and disapproval experiences can cause immediate change in children’s state self-esteem. Children’s narcissistic traits and evaluator perceived popularity were examined as potential moderators. A total of 333 preadolescents (M = 10.8 years) completed personal profiles on the Internet that were ostensibly judged by a jury consisting of popular and unpopular peers. Participants randomly received negative, neutral, or positive feedback from the jury. Next, they could examine the feedback that each individual judge gave them. As expected, peer disapproval decreased self-esteem, especially in children high in narcissism. In contrast, peer approval increased self-esteem. Moreover, disapproved children’s self-esteem recovery was dependent on the extent to which they subsequently viewed positive feedback from popular judges. These findings support sociometer theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined whether children's social behavior mediated the associations between specific dimensions of temperament and peer acceptance, and whether these associations were moderated by gender. We also explored the role of child's age on the associations between temperament and social functioning. Primary caregiver reports of temperament and peer reports of social behavior and peer acceptance were obtained for 140 boys and 135 girls (8-16 years, M = 11.9) from 275 different classrooms. Dimensions of temperament reflecting general activity, flexibility-rigidity, and attentional focus were found to be particularly important to children's social functioning at school, and their associations with peer acceptance were found to be significantly mediated by social behaviors. Additionally, we found that while linkages between dimensions of temperament and social acceptance were present for boys and girls, the pathways (mediators) were often different. Our exploratory analyses suggested that linkages between temperament and social functioning are strong for younger children, but less so for older youth. Findings are discussed in the context of their implications for theory and clinical applications, emphasizing the importance of considering gender differences in the contributions of temperament to social functioning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While research into educational inequalities emphasises childhood socio-economic status, this study adds another dimension of status into the analysis; namely, the child's own social position among its peers. The aim was to examine whether socio-economic status and peer status can both be linked to educational transitions and, if so, whether they constitute overlapping paths. In a second step of analyses, the relationship between peer status and adult unemployment was investigated. Data were derived from a longitudinal study using a 1953 cohort born in Stockholm, Sweden. Our results suggest that children with higher socio-economic status and children with higher peer status are consistently more likely than their lower status peers to proceed to the next level of education, and that the effects of socio-economic status and peer status hardly overlapped at all. Furthermore, educational differences by peer status seem to involve consequences for the studied subjects' contemporary labour market opportunities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the study on the influence of deviant peers on the adolescent's behavior towards substance use. It mentions that early peer-rejected children may lead them into deviant peer group just to gain social acceptance as deviant peer network shifts from slightly negative to slightly positive during adolescent years. The study shows that inadequate parental supervision among adolescence leads to the association with deviant peers and on substance use. Moreover, the findings implicate the deviant peer group as the training ground for deviant behaviors among adolescence, which includes illicit drug use.

The gaming industry has dramatically increased the range of choices for different game genres and content. Despite this, research on psychosocial factors in children and electronic gaming has primarily focused on time spent on games rather than on content preferences. The present study goes beyond the traditional focus on electronic game frequency by investigating whether children's personal gaming content preferences are associated with psychosocial factors (self-concept, social competence and parental monitoring). This is accomplished by surveying 825 schoolchildren between ten and twelve years of age (5th, 6th and 7th grade) in Norway. A preference for violent games was moderately associated with low social acceptance among peers. Preference for pedagogical games was associated with high scholastic and athletic competence as well as perceived levels of parental monitoring. A preference for fantasy gaming was positively related to scholastic competence. Finally, preference for competitive games was strongly associated with experienced athletic competence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author presents findings from an Australian study examining the behavioral correlates and stability of social status among preschool-aged children. Using sociometric assessment, the author determined the social status of an initial sample of 187 preschool-aged children (94 boys, 93 girls; M age = 62.4 months, SD age = 4.22 months). The author observed children (N = 70) who were classified as rejected, neglected, or popular. For a total of 25 min during a 3-month period, the author observed children engaging in free play in their preschool centers. Results indicate that children classified as popular were more likely to engage in cooperative play, engage in ongoing connected conversation, and display positive affect, compared with those classified as rejected or neglected. Popular children were less likely than rejected children or neglected children to engage in parallel play, onlooker behavior, or alone-directed behavior. To test for stability and change, the author repeated sociometric interviews 6 months after initial sociometric classification. Results indicate that preschool-aged children's social status classifications showed a moderate to high rate of stability for those children classified as popular, rejected, or neglected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One hundred preadolescent girls' (ages 9-12) and mothers' perceptions of parent- and peer-related interpersonal correlates of girls' depression and social anxiety, before and after controlling for comorbid symptoms, were examined. Girls' parental acceptance/rejection and support and perceived close friend support were more strongly related to girls' depression than to their social anxiety. Mother-rated girls' social acceptance was more strongly related to girls' social anxiety than depression, and girls' perceived social acceptance was unrelated to girls' depression after controlling for social anxiety. Loneliness and perceived classmate support were each related to both social anxiety and depression after controlling for comorbid symptoms. Results highlight the importance of controlling for comorbid symptoms and reveal some similar, and differential, correlates of depression and social anxiety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]