This study investigated the communication of acceptance and rejection in intracultural and intercultural triads in an interpersonal setting. Specifically, the attempt was made to determine how members of five different cultures defined and interpreted the verbal and nonverbal behaviors which for them constituted acceptance or rejection. Fifteen…

Two studies of nursery school children examined the relationship between friendships and sociometric judgments of social status. (Author/BB)

Heterogeneity in 8- to 10-year-old girls who were rejected by their peers was investigated. Cluster analysis revealed two groups, the more deviant being characterized by withdrawal, anxiety, and low academic functioning. Aggression did not differentiate the two groups. (BC)

Three studies examine the relationship of rejection sensitivity measured on the Children's Rejection Sensitivity Questionnaire to individual differences in response to peers' social rejection in urban, minority fifth to seventh graders. Found that rejection-sensitive children behaved more aggressively and experienced increased interpersonal…

This study examined the relations between preschool children's attachment security, temperament, and peer acceptance. Ninety-eight preschool children and their mothers were recruited through childcare centers in the southeast. Mothers and their children participated in two two-hour home observations. Attachment security was assessed using the…

The study of peers who dislike one another, termed mutual antipathies, is being recognized as an important aspect of a child's social world. An overview of this area and a review of the literature concerning mutual antipathies is provided. Particularly of interest is the type of mutual antipathy known as an "enemy" relationship, and…

Replicated and extended American research on overt and relational aggression with Italian children. Found that peer and teacher nominations for aggression and prosocial behavior were highly stable, although with very poor concordance between them. Peer nominations for overt and relational aggression were linked to peer rejection. Boys' scores were…

A peer nomination scale was designed to assess the degree to which children were subjected to direct physical and verbal abuse by peers. Subjects were 165 third through sixth grade students. Children's victimization scores were uncorrelated with their aggression scores, negatively correlated with peer acceptance, and positively correlated with…

This article discusses the effectiveness of a multicomponent intervention designed to disrupt developmental processes associated with conduct problems and peer rejection in childhood. Compared with 41 children randomized to a wait list control condition, 45 children in an intervention condition received a social skills training program. At the…

To investigate whether an experimental intervention would successfully improve the social position of rejected students, four students identified as the least accepted class members and four students with learning disabilities and/or educable mental handicaps were studied. (PHR)

The social status of fifth and sixth graders was determined using the peer nomination method and ratings by teachers. Out of 143 students, 16 were classified as popular, 17 as rejected, and 62 as average. A combination of social behavior and demographic variables accurately classified social status. (SLD)

Used short-term longitudinal design to examine peer relations processes that may mediate relation between peer rejection and kindergartners' emotional and academic adjustment. Structural equation modeling results supported hypothesis that negative peer treatment and classroom participation partially mediated the relationship between rejection and…

In this paper, the author discusses an exercise she uses requiring students to view a popular film that portrays a particular mental disorder or a character with a mental disorder. Students analyze the film and write two papers, one about the sociological model of mental illness and a second about possible links between media images and the…

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the associations between children's difficulties (conduct problems, hyperactivity/impulsivity, and emotional symptoms) and peer victimization and rejection in kindergarten. For the assessment of children's difficulties, the authors used a multi-informant approach. Method: A total of 153…

This study examined associations between sociometric status and friendship quality using observational and questionnaire data from 139 fourth-grade girls and their friends. Multivariate analyses of covariance (controlling for ethnicity and socioeconomic status) showed that rejected girls and their friends did not differ in their reported…