Peer Acceptance and Rejection PSY 226: Child and Adolescent Development

Learning Objectives Know the 4 categories of peer sociometric status and how they are measured Describe characteristics of popular, rejected, neglected, and controversial children Describe the process of peer rejection for aggressive-rejected children including developmental consequences and possible solutions

Peer Relations and Social Adjustment Sociometric Status Friendships Social Networks Crowds

Sociometric Peer Status Is a child generally liked / disliked by his her or peers? Aggregate Nomination Procedure (Coie et al. 1982): “List the three persons that you like most in your class (school, neighborhood): 1. Ricardo V. 2. Juan R. 3. Mark S. “List the three persons that you like least in your class (school, neighborhood): 1. Fernando A. 2. Mark B. 3. John S. STRENGTHS: 1. High validity and reliability. 2. Information is combined across all persons. 3. Contextual flexibility.

Sociometric Peer Status Many POPULAR Liked Most CONTROVERSIAL Few / None Many Liked Least AVERAGE NEGLECTED REJECTED Few / None

Characteristics of Popular, Rejected, Neglected, Controversial Children Popular (20%): Cooperative, friendly, sociable, attractive, sensitive Volunteer to help, school leaders, skilled at group entry Assertive, but not aggressive/disruptive Rejected (22%): Aggressive (40-50%) – Disruptive, physical/verbal attacks Aggression seems antecedent to rejection Withdrawn (10-20%) – Submissive, immature, socially wary Neglected (23%): Avoid aggressive interchanges, low disruptiveness Not necessarily anxious about social interchanges, but have few Least stable category Controversial (12%): Can have characteristics for popularity and rejection May be helpful, leaders, and aggressive Least information about this subgroup

Aggressive-Rejected Children and Social Adjustment Asher & Coie, 1990; Rubin, Bukowski, & Parker, 2006 Social behavior of the child is primarily responsible for the onset rejection by peers. -- Ken Dodge’s study of unfamiliar peers Social information processing deficits (Dodge) Hostile attribution bias (deficient emotional understanding) and impulse control problems 2. The child’s behavior patterns, cognitive processes, and affective/emotional processes are influenced by parenting.

A Sequence of Deficient Social Information Processing Encoding social cues Making attributions (intentional hostility) Limited Responses (get even, insult, hit) Act on Impulse (punch!) Short-sighted Evaluation (that worked!)

Peer Acceptance/Rejection and Social Adjustment Asher & Coie, 1990; Rubin, Bukowski, & Parker, 2006 3. Processes that maintain peer rejection are influenced by peer group dynamics that regulate/stabilize the rejected child’s behavior. It becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. 4. Persistent peer rejection has implication for the child’s long-term social adjustment. Note: Rejection shows about 50% stability over 3 years

Peer Acceptance/Rejection and Social Adjustment Outcomes Associated with Peer Rejection Academics Less interested in school Absenteeism high (skip; truancy) Grade failure (2 to 7 times more likely) Difficulty transitioning to middle school Risk for early dropout before Grade 9 17.5% vs. 5.4% Esp. True if Rejected Children have Peers w/ Low Academic Interest Sources: Coie et al., 1992 ; Ollendick et al., 1992; Rubin, Bukowski, & Parker, 2006

Peer Acceptance/Rejection and Social Adjustment Outcomes Associated with Peer Rejection 2. Externalizing Behavior Problems Conduct disorder, attention problems, substance use About twice as likely to be a delinquent (Kupersmidt et al.) Deviant peer relations mediate these outcomes Stability matters! Chronic rejection is much worse than temporary or transient rejection

Peer Acceptance/Rejection and Social Adjustment Outcomes Associated with Peer Rejection 3. Internalizing Behavior Problems Higher depression and loneliness Longitudinal (K-7) Stability matters! Burks et al. found these problems held mainly for children rejected for 2 or more consecutive years Sources: Burks et al., 1995; Gazelle & Ladd, 2003

Person-Context Considerations Gender Boys who engage in stereotypical female play tend to be disliked by other boys and girls Variation in Group Norms Aggressive classrooms (or schools) Aggression is not always related to peer preference Withdrawn behavior is linked to low peer preference High poverty, dangerous neighborhoods Assertive/Aggressive children may be popular In truly deviant groups (e.g., gangs) High levels of aggression predicts popularity

Can the Problems Associated with Peer Rejection Be Prevented? Assumption: Social-behavioral skill deficits drive peer rejection (e.g., Dodge’s model) Social Skills Training: coaching/teaching social skills (interpret, encode, enact) via role-playing, group talk, social-cognitive training, modeling. STOP -- THINK -- GO

Benefits of Social Skills Training Social-cognition: Increased Understanding of Self and Others Emotions (i.e., Emotional Intelligence) Reduced externalizing (aggression and hyperactivity) and internalizing (depression) problems and symptoms Increased academic achievement Sometimes peer status improves

Limitations of Social Skills Training 1. Not all children who are poorly accepted lack social skills. * Many rejected children have friends. * It may provide limited exposure to competent peers. 2. Individual-based approach. * Does not include peer group, teacher, or family. 3. Less then half (48%) of children want to receive social skills training. * Ethical problem? * Labeling

Positive Self-Fulfilling Prophecy