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…

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.

This study compared different strategies for computing sociometric status to determine the extent to which they agree. It is argued that, if the different strategies lead to significant differences in whether a child is classified as popular or unpopular, then the technique for computing social acceptance would be an important issue in…

Discusses patterns of social interaction used by 28 preschool children who were popular, controversial, neglected, or rejected as playmates. Videotaped social play in which one child joined a dyad was coded in terms of children's direction of communication, inititiations, and responses. (CB)

This study examined effects of achievement on the peer status of Mexican American elementary students (n=43) with learning disabilities (LD) in academic and play contexts. Mexican American students with LD received significantly lower sociometric scores than low-achieving nondisabled Mexican American peers even in classrooms where all students…

The assigned and received social status of mildly learning-disabled, mildly behaviorally disordered, and nonhandicapped high school students (n=66) was examined. The samples' social status differed significantly from a larger nonhandicapped population. Cross-categorical comparisons of assigned social status showed no significant differences,…

Peer popularity was compared across three groups of preschool children: (1) children with normally developing language skills; (2) children with speech and/or language impairments; and (3) children learning English as a Second Language. Normally developing children were the most popular. A receptive measure of single word vocabulary was the best…

The purposes of this study were to investigate the interrelatedness of several measures of social competence and to determine a valid and practical combination of procedures for assessing social competence in school or clinic settings. A total of 51 sixth-grade children (23 boys and 28 girls) were administered the following measures of social…