Peer preferences and social interaction among third-grade children in an integrated school district.

Assessed social interaction among Black and White 3rd-grade children in 9 classrooms. The children were in integrated schools since kindergarten. Two methods were employed: a roster-and-rating sociometric technique and a classroom behavioral observation procedure using sequential time sampling. Sociometric data were obtained for 179 White and 48 Black children. Observational data were obtained for 39 White and 39 Black children. Both race and sex were found to be significant determinants of sociometric ratings for play and work. Omega-squared analyses, however, indicated that sex accounted for 43.2% of the variance on play and 35.2% on work, while race accounted for only about 1% of the variance on each measure. The observational data indicate a positive pattern of classroom interaction. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)