This study investigated the features of verbal disagreements arising among 25 adolescent students with mild intellectual disabilities and 25 of their typical peers. Transcripts of a learning task were coded using an adaptation of Eisenberg's (1992) scheme for analyzing verbal conflicts. Findings of the study indicate: (1) in verbal conflict…

In male and female adolescents (n=30), the predictive relationship between social competency and peer relations and age differences in social competence was studied. Based upon a social deficit hypothesis, linear age differences were observed in social knowledge, locus of control, and a trend in empathy. (Author/PN)

Examined preschoolers' peer acceptance, aggression, and peer competence. Found that children with at least one mutual friend were better liked by peers and were rated by teachers as being more competent than children with no mutual friend. Children with at least one mutual friend were better liked by peers a year later than children with no mutual…

A study of 43 children with mental retardation working with peers on a cooperative task found that different factors influence peer acceptance and rejection. Acceptance was influenced by overall quantity of a child's interactions and peer perceptions of positive behavior; rejection was influenced by positive behavior of the target child and peer…

Sixteen young adults with autism participated in a social skills group for several years and were asked to complete a sociogram and a questionnaire. Results are analyzed in terms of relationship between leaders' and group members' ratings, relationship between popularity and personal attributes, and sex and group differences. (Author/JDD)

Measures of peer acceptance and peers' social reputation were administered to 8 and 10 year olds in Shanghai, China, and Ontario, Canada. Results indicated that sociability was correlated with peer acceptance, and aggression with peer rejection, in both countries. Shyness was negatively correlated with peer acceptance in the Canadian sample. (BC)

This article reviews research on the social functioning of students with learning disabilities (LD) and draws implications for the inclusion of students with LD in regular education classrooms. Social skills, self-concept, friendships, and social networks are addressed. It argues that the social dimensions of placement decisions for these students…

Early research on imaginary companions suggests that children who create them do so to compensate for poor social relationships. Consequently, the peer acceptance of children with imaginary companions was compared to that of their peers. Sociometrics were conducted on 88 preschool-aged children; 11 had invisible companions, 16 had personified…

This study compared the social status and self-esteem of 8 third grade children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, 2 children with attention deficit disorder (ADD) alone, and 26 children without the disorders, in light of hypothesized effects of perceived negative feedback received by these children from peers. The children nominated…

This study investigated the relation of loneliness in middle childhood to behavioral, sociometric, and attributional measures of social functioning. Data for 128 third- through sixth-graders were collected on three occasions during a 1-year span. Teachers completed a rating scale assessing students' social behavior. Children's peer acceptance was…

A review of current theory and practice regarding social skills training for children with behavior problems precedes the proposal of a different approach to social skills training, which takes into account the effects of social perception biases of peers which may hinder mainstreaming attempts. (Author/CB)

Examined age-related changes in the organization underlying children's ratings of peer social deviance. Peer ratings of aggression, withdrawal, and likeability using the Pupil Evaluation Inventory (PEI) were collected from first, fourth, and seventh graders. For all ages aggression and likeability items were found to comprise cohesive categories…

Based on the view that positive peer relationships help children function successfully at school, this study examined how teachers can help rejected, aggressive, or controversial children build social skills in a small group setting. Participating were three kindergarten students at a rural Alaskan elementary school, selected because they…

The author states that far too little has been done about teaching handicapped adolescents the specifics of coping with stressful situations. Training should begin in childhood and be designed to be effective in a variety of settings and with many different types of people. (Author/KC)

Two studies examined young children's internal working model of self and their competence, social acceptance, behavioral adjustment, and behavioral manifestations of self-esteem. Results indicated significant and positive relations of the positiveness of self with competence and social acceptance, with behavioral adjustment to school, and with…