Aggressive versus withdrawn unpopular children: variations in peer and self-perceptions in multiple domains

The present study examines whether subgroups of unpopular children differ in terms of competence in multiple domains. Specifically, subgroups of aggressive unpopular, withdrawn unpopular, and aggressive-withdrawn unpopular and average status children were identified on the basis of peer evaluations. The subgroups were then compared in terms of peer and self-perceptions of competence in various nonsocial and social domains. Results indicated that the 3 subgroups of unpopular children exhibited distinct profiles according to peer perceptions, with aggressive-withdrawn unpopular children being viewed as deficient in virtually every area assessed, and aggressive unpopular and withdrawn unpopular children viewed as exhibiting particular strengths and weaknesses across domains. In terms of self-perceptions, results indicated that withdrawn-unpopular children expressed more accurate, but negative self-evaluations, while children in the aggressive subgroups tended to overestimate their competencies.     

The Children of Divorce Intervention Program: An investigation of the efficacy of a school-based prevention program.

Evaluated the effectiveness of a school-based, preventive 10-wk group program for 4th–6th grade children of divorce. The program, a modified version of the children's support group used by A. L. Stolberg et al (1982) and Stolberg and P. M. Cullen (1983), creates a group atmosphere in which children can share divorce-related feelings, clarify common misconceptions, and reduce feelings of isolation and build competence. Participants are taught problem-solving, communication, and anger-control skills to help them cope adaptively with challenges posed by parental divorce. 72 3rd–6th graders who were children of divorce, in demographically matched groups, were randomly assigned to an immediate intervention (experimental) or a delayed intervention (control) group. The experimental group improved significantly more on teacher ratings of problem behaviors and competence and parent ratings of adjustment and self-reported anxiety. Group leaders also rated experimental Ss as having improved significantly. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of social support and battle intensity on loneliness and breakdown during combat.

A sample of 382 Israeli soldiers who developed combat stress reactions (CSR) during the 1982 Israel-Lebanon War were compared with groups of carefully matched controls who did not develop CSR. Lack of social support from officers was found to be related to greater feelings of loneliness and greater likelihood of CSR in soldiers. Lack of social support from buddies was found to be related to greater loneliness. Intensity of battle was also found to be related to greater feelings of loneliness and increased likelihood of CSR. A path model was tested and supported. The model suggests that battle intensity and officer support lead to CSR directly and indirectly by causing increased feelings of loneliness. Possible cognitive and psychodynamic explanations for the findings are offered. The limitations of making causal statements from retrospective perceptions are discussed. (33 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Children's loneliness: A comparison of rejected and neglected peer status.

Administered sociometric and loneliness questionnaires to 200 3rd-6th grade children to assess feelings of loneliness in 2 subgroups of unpopular Ss—those who were sociometrically rejected vs those who were sociometrically neglected. Data on popular, average, and controversial Ss were also collected. One-fifth of the the Ss were from low SES families, one-third were from middle SES families, and the rest were from upper middle or upper SES families. Results indicate that rejected Ss were the most lonely group and that this group differed significantly from other status groups. Neglected Ss did not differ from their higher-status peers. Overall, findings provide evidence of the utility of the distinction between neglected vs rejected status and provide support for earlier conclusions that rejected children are more at risk than are other status groups. (17 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Efficacité d'un programme d'entra?nement aux habiletés sociales pour enfants présentant des diagnostics psychiatriques hétérogènes.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a 12-session social skills group intervention for 9 to 14 years old children with mental health problems and poor peer relationships. The program (implemented in an outpatient clinic) combines social learning and cognitive-behavioural techniques to build children's social skills and relationships with peers. Participants (51 children; M age = 10.8 years, range = 9 to 14) presented one of the following primary diagnoses: ADHD, anxiety disorder, Asperger's syndrome, pervasive development disorder or adjustment disorder. They were matched on age, gender, diagnosis, and then randomly assigned to either the treatment or control/waiting list condition. Measures of children's social skills (SSRS; F. W. Gresham & S. N. Elliot, 1990) and anxiety (Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children; March, J. S., Parker, J. D. A., Sullivan, K., Stallings, P., & Conners, K., 1997) were collected pre- and post treatment. Results indicated that the social skills training program increased parent/children ratings of social skills, as well as decreased ratings of anxiety as compared to similar children on a waiting list for treatment. Implications for practise and research are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Social-emotional behavior of preschool-age children with and without developmental delays

Differences in parent and teacher ratings of social-emotional behavior among young children with developmental delays and those without significant developmental problems were examined. Participants included 198 preschool-age children identified as having a developmental delay (DD group) and 198 preschool-age children without significant developmental problems (Comparison group) who were matched to the DD group by age and gender, using a randomized block procedure. Parent and teacher perceptions of social-emotional behavior of the participants were assessed using the Preschool and Kindergarten Behavior Scale (PKBS), a social skills and problem behavior rating scale for the use with young children. PKBS scores were found to classify the participants into their respective groups with a substantial degree of accuracy. Statistically significant differences in social skills and problem behavior scores between the two groups were found, with the DD participants evidencing greater social skills deficits and problem behavior excesses than the Comparison group. Individuals in the DD group were found to be four to five times more likely to have significant social skills deficits and problem behavior excesses than individuals in the Comparison group. The critical social-emotional behaviors separating the two groups appeared to be social interaction and independence skills, and socially withdrawn and isolated behavior patterns. New validity evidence for the PKBS is discussed, as are future needs pertaining to research and clinical practice in the area of social-emotional behavior of young children with developmental delays.     

Tri-level service delivery: An alternative consultation model.

Presents an alternative model for delivering school consultative service. School psychologists provide consultative training and support to teacher consultants, who then become consultants to their teaching colleagues. All respondent groups perceived the knowledge base of teacher consultants favorably, particularly in areas of children's social–emotional functioning, special education placement guidelines, community resources, and consultative skills. Although consumers had a preference for indirect services, they also desired greater involvement of teacher consultants in direct intervention activities outside the classroom. Overall ratings of teacher consultants' skills and the program were high. Potential advantages of this model are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Children's perceptions of their peer experiences: Attributions, loneliness, social anxiety, and social avoidance.

338 3rd and 5th graders completed a sociometric questionnaire and 3 instruments designed to assess their feelings of loneliness, social anxiety, social avoidance, and their attributions for social outcomes. Results show that children's feelings and attributions varied as a function of peer status, gender, and grade. For example, compared with peers, rejected children reported higher levels of loneliness and were more likely to attribute relationship failures to external causes. Children's feelings were also significantly related to their attributions about social events. Popular, average, and controversial status children who were socially distressed exhibited a non-self-serving attributional style, whereas distressed rejected children exhibited a self-serving attributional pattern. Neglected children who were distressed exhibited elements of both of these attributional styles. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The moderating effects of attachment style on students' experience of a transition to university group facilitation program.

This study investigated how attachment style predicted first-year students' responses to a transition to university group facilitation program. Participants (N = 148) at three universities were randomly assigned to a control or facilitation group. Each group consisted of on average six first-year students and two facilitators who met weekly for nine weeks at the beginning of the first semester to discuss issues relevant to the transition to university. Attachment styles (preoccupied, secure, dismissing, and fearful), feelings toward group experiences, and adjustment were assessed by questionnaire at the end of the program in November and again in March. Results indicated that, as hypothesised, dismissing style scores were generally negatively correlated with student attendance and feelings toward the group. Secure style ratings tended to be positively correlated with reports of group feelings. Adjustment measures collected in March indicated a potential buffering effect of the facilitation program for the preoccupied students in that the preoccupied students in the control group indicated more depression and loneliness, plus poorer adjustment to university, than the preoccupied students in the intervention groups. However, all other styles, including the dismissing style, did not show differences between intervention and control groups on subsequent adjustment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Social Effectiveness Therapy for Children: Three-Year Follow-Up.

This study reports the results of a 3-year follow-up assessment of children and adolescents diagnosed with social anxiety disorder (social phobia) and treated with Social Effectiveness Therapy for Children (SET-C), a comprehensive behavioral treatment program combining social skills training, peer generalization, and individualized exposure. Among 32 children initially treated with the protocol, 29 completed the follow-up assessment and were evaluated with a multidimensional assessment strategy, including self-report, parental report, clinician ratings, and behavioral assessment. Results indicated that the majority of posttreatment gains were maintained at 3-year follow-up, and 72% of treated children continued to be free of a social phobia diagnosis 3 years later. These findings support the long-term efficacy of SET-C for children and adolescents suffering from social phobia. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Rejected Bullies or Popular Leaders? The Social Relations of Aggressive Subtypes of Rural African American Early Adolescents.

Teacher assessments of interpersonal characteristics were used to identify subtypes of rural African American early adolescents (161 boys and 258 girls). Teacher ratings of interpersonal characteristics were used to identify popular and unpopular aggressive subtypes for both boys and girls. Unpopular aggressive youths did not have elevated levels of rejected sociometric status but were more likely to have lower levels of peer-perceived social prominence and social skills. Conversely, popular aggressive youths were more likely to be disliked by peers even though they were perceived by peers as socially prominent and socially skilled and were identified by teachers as highly involved in extracurricular activities. Both popular and unpopular aggressive youths tended to associate with others who had similar levels of peer-perceived popularity. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A cognitive-social learning approach to social skill training with low-status preschool children.

Changes in the behavior and peer acceptance of low-status preschool children as a result of social skill training were examined. Children who had low sociometric status and were also low in classroom use of social skills were randomly assigned to a skill training group (n?=?18) or to an attention control group (n?=?15). Children in the training group were coached in 4 skills: leading peers, asking questions of peers, making comments to peers, and supporting peers. Trained children showed a significant increase in their use of the trained skills comments and leads from pretest to posttest, whereas control-group children showed no change. Neither control nor skill-trained children changed significantly on sociometric measures from pretest to posttest. Increases in skill use in the classroom with peers was correlated with improvements in children's knowledge of friendly social strategies from pre- to posttest. Results are interpreted as evidence of a social skill basis for peer acceptance and of the need to develop procedures to assess the mechanisms of change during social skills training. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Loneliness, self-disclosure, and interpersonal effectiveness.

Examined the relationship between interpersonal intimacy and measures of loneliness, social skills, and social activity. 150 unmarried female undergraduates were administered the Self-Disclosure Situations Survey; University of California, Los Angeles, Loneliness Scale; Social Introversion scale of the MMPI; and an activity questionnaire. Results reveal that dispositional level of self-disclosure was inversely related to loneliness and interacted with disclosure flexibility: Appropriate medium disclosure across situations was associated with lower levels of loneliness than was inappropriate disclosure. Peer and observer ratings of social skills were positively related to dispositional disclosure but not to disclosure flexibility or level of loneliness. Among lonely Ss there was a trend for disclosure flexibility to be associated with different levels of social activity. Results suggest that lonely individuals have difficulty appropriately revealing personal information in new relationships and nonstructured social situations. (30 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effectiveness of a computer-facilitated interactive social skills training program for boys with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are at significant risk for a variety of comorbid conditions, including social skills deficits. Although interventions addressing various aspects of social difficulties with these children have been developed, few researchers have integrated new technology with existing social skills intervention literature and investigated such approaches empirically. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of a computer-mediated social skills training program for children diagnosed with ADHD. The program presented specific social skill sequences to four children with ADHD in a variety of computer-facilitated formats with video peer modeling, social problem-solving, and reinforcement components. Participants' abilities to demonstrate specific social problem-solving skills effectively in a behavioral analogue environment were evaluated. The study used a multiple-probe variation of the multiple-baseline design (MBD) across participants. All participants demonstrated improvements in ability to demonstrate effective social problem-solving skills in analogue role-play assessments with live peers. Follow-up data at 3 and 6 week intervals indicated that participants maintained their gains over time. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Loneliness, attachment, and the perception and use of social support in university students.

This study examined factors related to family, social, and romantic loneliness in 173 undergraduate students (66 males, 107 females). Participants completed measures of attachment style, perceived availability of social support, use of social support coping, and loneliness. Results indicated that participants with greater attachment security reported lower levels of all types of loneliness compared to those with less attachment security, and this was partially mediated by perceived social support but not the use of social support coping. When examining underlying attachment constructs, a more positive model of others was related to less family and social loneliness, and these associations were mediated by greater perceived social support. Model of others also was associated with less romantic loneliness and model of self was associated with less loneliness in all domains, and these relations were partially mediated by perceived social support. Findings are discussed with respect to possible interventions to increase students' perceptions of available social support and to decrease overall loneliness levels. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Predicting change in academic achievement: A model of peer experiences and self-system processes.

The purpose of this study was to test a model of peer experiences and academic achievement among elementary school children. This model postulates that the quality of children's social relations (e.g., social preference) in the peer group can foster or inhibit feelings of connectedness (e.g., loneliness), which in turn affects children's perceptions of academic competence. Finally, perceptions of academic competence are hypothesized to predict change in academic achievement. Participants were 397 school children (206 girls, 191 boys; mean age?=?108 months, range?=?88–157 months). Results from structural equation modeling provided support for the proposed model. Discussion centers on the mediational role of self-system processes between children's social relations and change in academic achievement. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Initial impact of the fast track prevention trial for conduct problems: I. The high-risk sample.

Fast Track is a multisite, multicomponent preventive intervention for young children at high risk for long-term antisocial behavior. Based on a comprehensive developmental model, intervention included a universal-level classroom program plus social skills training, academic tutoring, parent training, and home visiting to improve competencies and reduce problems in a high-risk group of children selected in kindergarten. At the end of Grade 1, there were moderate positive effects on children's social, emotional, and academic skills; peer interactions and social status; and conduct problems and special-education use. Parents reported less physical discipline and greater parenting satisfaction/ease of parenting and engaged in more appropriate/consistent discipline, warmth/positive involvement, and involvement with the school. Evidence of differential intervention effects across child gender, race, site, and cohort was minimal. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Correspondences among parent, teacher, and student perceptions of adolescents' learning disabilities

A group of 26 adolescents with learning disabilities (Grades 9 through 12), their parents, and their special education teachers were asked to rate the students' skills in each of 21 specific areas covering general ability, oral language, reading, written language, math, study skills, motivation, social skills, attention, and nonverbal skills. Correspondences in the absolute and relative ratings of parents, teachers, and students across the 21 skill areas were examined. The parents' ratings were consistent with those of the teachers in 16 areas and significantly lower than the teachers in 5 areas. The students' ratings were generally higher than those of their parents and teachers. The student-teacher differences were significant in 6 areas, whereas the student-parent differences were significant in 11 areas. Although generally lower in absolute terms than the ratings of their children, the parents' relative ratings were strikingly parallel to their children's ratings across skill areas (r = 80). Differences in the reference groups used for the ratings did not seem to account for the discrepant ratings. Possible implications of the differing perceptions of students' learning disabilities for students' self-esteem and academic progress are discussed.     

Louisiana Spirit Specialized Crisis Counseling: Counselor perceptions of training and services.

This study examined perceptions of training, supervision, consultation, services provided, and role satisfaction among program personnel (N = 93) providing assistance to children, adults, and families affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita through the Louisiana Spirit Specialized Crisis Counseling Services (SCCS) Program. Findings indicated that there was uniform high satisfaction with the training, supervision, and consultation, which included the skills-based intervention, Skills for Psychological Recovery, provided by the SCCS Practice Directorate that included staff from Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, the National Child Traumatic Stress Network, and the National Center for PTSD. Counselors also made high ratings of their perceptions of the helpfulness of services to survivors and overall satisfaction with their work. The vast majority of counselors, who had themselves been seriously affected by the hurricanes, indicated that their own hurricane-related experiences and losses were extremely helpful to them in relating to survivors and providing services. Fully 90% indicated that they had significantly benefited professionally from their work and would be interested in providing SCCS services in the event of another disaster. Provider perceptions of personal strengths derived from the hurricanes were associated with high levels of SCCS program satisfaction and conversely, difficulties providing SCCS services were associated with lower levels of program satisfaction. Multiple regression analyses indicated that provider's perceived negative impact of the hurricane on survivors predicted increased perceived helpfulness of SCCS provider trainings and services to survivors. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

The effects of inclusion on the social functioning of students with learning disabilities

The purpose of this study was to provide data on the social functioning (i.e., the degree of peer acceptance, self-concept, loneliness, and social alienation) of students in second, third, and fourth grade who participated in an inclusive classroom for an entire year. The social functioning of students identified as learning disabled (LD; n = 16), low achieving (LA; n = 27), and average/high achieving (AHA; n = 21) was assessed at the beginning and end of the school year. The students with LD were less well liked and more frequently rejected than AHA students. Although students' overall self-worth did not differ by achievement group, the students with LD demonstrated significantly lower academic self-concept scores. The students with LD did not differ on ratings of loneliness, and they demonstrated increases in the number of within-class reciprocal friendships from fall to spring. Discussion focuses on the effects of inclusion on the social functioning of students with LD.