As few studies have investigated how pre-school children produce and negotiate social positions when powerful positions are claimed, this study explores how 3-5 year-old children construct the social order of peer play when balancing the power game within the interaction. This is a video documented ethnographical case study where the methodology…

Research Findings: In this examination of associations between sibling interaction patterns and later social outcomes in single- and 2-parent families, 113 kindergarteners took part in naturalistic observations at home with siblings, classmates participated in sociometric interviews, and teachers completed behavior ratings. Sibling interactions…

This study examined the communication of non-aggressive, rejected (NAR) children and popular children during peer interaction. The participants were 80 fifth and sixth graders recruited from a larger sociometric sample (40 boys and 40 girls; 20 NAR children and 60 non-aggressive, popular children). Participants were assigned to 40 same-gender…

The study involving 60 disabled and 624 nondisabled elementary students compared three methods used to evaluate social ability: teacher ratings, sociometric ratings, and direct observation. Findings revealed that disabled children are viewed as less socially acceptable by both teachers and peers but do not differ from nondisabled peers in actual…

Results of using high status peers to tutor socially unpopular peers indicated signficant increases in daily accuracy rates of tutored subjects, slight positive improvements in the sociometric standing of low status peers; immediate increase in the number of positive social contacts, and decreased frequency of negative social interactions between…

When three socially withdrawn kindergarteners were placed in the classroom manager's role they substantially increased the frequency of positive social initiations during free-play, had more positive and fewer negative social bids from peers, were rated more favorably by classmates, and were selected more frequently as best friends by peers.…

Systematic observations and ratings by self and others were part of an ethnographic approach to studying the self-concept of 48 severely to mildly mentally retarded adults in a sheltered workshop setting. Ss completed both the Self-Esteem Inventory for Adults and "The Way I Feel About Myself" Self-Concept Scale. Rehabilitation counselors completed…

Play-skills training, provided to eight Zambian elementary children with intellectual disabilities, resulted in more substantial increases in interaction between subjects and nondisabled children when coupled with teacher prompts, compared to training alone. Having a nondisabled child take the initiator role increased and maintained social…