Children's conflicts with one another during free play were observed to determine the relation between the child's rate of conflict participation and his or her rate of aggressive behavior during conflict episodes and between these variables and the degree to which the child was liked or disliked by peers. (Author/SO)

Examined the role of interpersonal expectations in rejected children's social difficulties. Results indicated that rejected children can make better impressions on peers when they expect interpersonal success. (RH)

The stability of peer status of children (ages 9 to 12) with (N=38) and without learning disabilities (LD) was examined through sociometric measures twice in the same school year. Although test-retest reliability was good, children with LD were likely to lose peer status and be seen by peers in less favorable terms at Time 2 than Time 1. (Contains…

Grounding their efforts on results of previous research, investigators have sought to improve peer relationships of unpopular children through direct instruction in social skills. Generally, such interventions have been effective in promoting specific outcomes. For example, skill-training programs improve children's ability to form colleague…

To investigate the relationship between perceived self-competence and other variables affecting the successful adjustment and achievement of students, 400 fourth through seventh graders were surveyed using the Perceived Competence Scale for Children (PCSC), the Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale (RCMAS), which consists of two scales,…

The article reviews 25 studies investigating peer status of learning disabled children. An underlying assumption of most of the studies was a unidirectional relationship between peer status and social skills. The studies are reinterpreted using a bidirectional model in which peer status is the outcome of reciprocal interactions between child,…

The self-perceptions of 44 first and second grade Israeli children with learning disabilities (LD) and their 36 nondisabled classmates were assessed. LD children were found to have a greater positive bias and lower self-perception in the cognitive competence domain and similar perceptions as nondisabled peers of peer acceptance despite…

A student attitude questionnaire was given to 1,465 gifted and talented adolescents who identified 5 strategies used to deal with potentially stigmatizing events (cover up, lie, placate, be truthful, and cop-out). The placate coping strategy was the most frequently used across scenarios. (DB)

Many clinical observations of child witnesses of violence have been made, yet there has been little systematic research on the relationship between observing violence and perceived self-competence. Possible correlates of observing wife battering in the self-perceptions of young children were examined by administering the Pictorial Scale of…

Investigated the relationship between parents' efforts to initiate and monitor children's peer contacts and the qualities of children's peer relations in nonschool and school settings. (PCB)

A study involving 633 Grade five Chinese students in Hong Kong found significant sex and popularity group differences in peer-nominated creativity and popularity group differences in teacher-rated creativity. Overall, peer status and perceived creativity were highly related. Students perceived boys as more creative than girls. (DB)

This study compared the perceptions of 20 normal peers of the nonspeech characteristics of 8 dysarthric (with cerebral palsy) and 8 normal-speaking children (ages 6-11). Results indicated that the normal speakers were judged much more positively than the dysarthric speakers. Implications for the mainstreaming of children with dysarthric speech are…

Examination of social status, peer liking and knowing, and reciprocal friendships of 202 students (learning disabled, low achieving, average achieving, and high achieving) in grades 3-10 found that only low achieving students were less well liked and less well known by classmates. All groups showed a high relationship between knowing and liking.…

Measures humor appreciation (including mirth, subjective ratings, and response sets), comprehension, and production in children between the ages of 10 and 14. Relates humor to several areas of competence manifested at school. (HOD)

This study investigated the relationship of academic achievement of categories of social status (popular, rejected, isolated, and amiable), peer acceptance and social impacts among 145 elementary school children. Academically able students were more often considered amiable or popular, while the below average achievers were more often rejected.