This study examined the associations of popularity, substance use, athletic abilities, physical attractiveness, and physical and relational aggression with likeability by same-gender and cross-gender peers among early adolescents (N = 3,312; M age = 13.60, with 92.7% of the participants in the 12-14 age range). Data collection consisted of peer…

The present study investigated the role of theory of mind (ToM) skills in three forms of involvement in bullying: ringleader bullying, defending the victim(s), and victimization. Individual (affective empathy) and interpersonal variables (social preference and perceived popularity) were assumed to moderate the associations between ToM and the ways…

Network position ("isolate," "member," "liaison"), peer-group substance use, and their interaction were examined as predictors of cigarette, alcohol, and marijuana use in a sample of 163 urban sixth, seventh, and eighth graders. Two measures of peer substance use were compared: one based on social network analysis…

A modern clustering technique was applied to age-10 and age-13 sociometric data with the purpose of identifying longitudinally stable peer status clusters. The study included 445 girls from a Swedish longitudinal study. The identified temporally stable clusters of rejected, popular, and average girls were essentially larger than corresponding…

Argues that the cultural analysis in Merten's (PS 524 830) article must consider meanings used by cultural participants to shape and evaluate their own and their peers' actions. Emphasizes emic categories as an opening to understanding rejection. Suggests that knowing more about variables will not necessarily further understanding of rejection…

This article uses an ecological approach to predict students' peer acceptance within junior high school classes. The authors investigate whether various characteristics (self-perception of physical attractiveness and athletic competence, cognitive ability, agreeableness, extraversion, age, parents education, number of siblings, siblings at same…

This study of fifth graders identified 22 behavioral cues to develop and test a peer-report measure of social transactions used to infer liking by peers. Sixteen of the 22 cues described positive behaviors, indicating that positive behaviors may play a more important role in relational communication among children than negative transactions. (TJQ)

Examined relations among several indicators of physical attractiveness (PA): height, weight, and triceps skinfold thickness. Appraised whether multiple PA indicators accounted for more variation in measures of psychosocial functioning than did single PA indexes. Facial attractiveness was the most frequent statistically significant predictor of…

Compared adolescent's position in the perceived peer group organization with measures of social status and mutual friendship among fourth- through sixth-graders. Found that peer group members who were marginal in the perceived structure were more likely than others to have a rejected status and be friendless. However, most rejected students were…

Argues that researchers must broaden conceptual frameworks, broaden samples, and broaden methods used in the study of rejected peers in light of Merten's work (PS 524 830). Suggests that conceptual frameworks must consider the full range of characteristics that contribute to peer status, and be sensitive to contextual factors that shape peer group…

Relations between friendship and group acceptance were examined by assessing multiple dimensions of adolescents' (n=77) peer relationships at summer camp. Results indicated distinctions should be made between friendships and group acceptance and between positive and negative aspects of peer relationships. Both types of relationships are important…

Investigated how peer acceptance and friendship were related to self-esteem in adolescents. Ninth-grade students (n=542) were classified by sociometric group and presence or absence of reciprocal friendships. Results indicate no significant difference in self-esteem scores across sociometric groups. Subjects with one friend had higher self-esteem…

Twenty-four socially rejected children were coached on the importance of displaying behaviors known to be used by peers in making inferences of liking and then were encouraged to communicate these behaviors toward selected friendship targets within their own classroom groups. Significant treatment-related improvements were found in these…

Examined the relation between perceived dissimilarity to peers and several peer-reported characteristics in 478 students from 26 fourth- through sixth-grade classrooms. Found that perceived dissimilarity was related positively to perceptions that a student was odd, socially excluded and withdrawn, bullying, and inattentive; dissimilarity related…

Although success in managing evolving peer relationships is linked to critical adolescent outcomes, little is known about the specific factors that lead to success or failure in peer relationship development across adolescence. This longitudinal study examines the role of adolescents' level of ego development as a predictor of the future course of…