What Aspects of Peer Relationships Are Impaired in Children With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder?

Participants included 165 children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD; 130 boys, 35 girls) and their 1,298 same-sex classmates (1,026 boys, 272 girls) who served as raters. For each child with ADHD, a child of the same sex was randomly selected from the same classroom to serve as a comparison child, which yielded 165 dyads. Consistent with predictions, contrasted with the comparison children, those with ADHD were lower on social preference, higher on social impact, less well liked, and more often in the rejected social status category; they also had fewer dyadic friends. When liking ratings that children made versus received were examined, children with ADHD had less positive imbalance and greater negative imbalance relative to comparison children. Analyses that considered the types of peers who chose children with ADHD as friends or nonfriends demonstrated that children with ADHD were nominated as nonfriends by children of higher social preference and who were better liked by others. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Attributional Biases in Aggressive Children and Their Mothers.

To investigate if mothers and their aggressive children share the tendency to infer hostile motives from others' behavior in ambiguous social situations, 100 pairs of mothers and their clinic-referred or comparison children (50 boys and 50 girls) were asked to interpret hypothetical situations involving both overtly and relationally provocative scenarios. Results replicated previous findings of studies on social information processing of aggressive children and extended the findings to mothers of aggressive children. Findings were generally consistent with the hypothesis that mothers of aggressive children tend to view others' ambiguous actions as hostile, increasing the probability of responding with aggression and, in effect, modeling a hostile attributional bias for their children. Examinations of mothers' and their children's attributional and behavioral intentions suggested that mothers' and daughters' attributions and behavioral intentions were significantly correlated, whereas mothers' and sons' were not. Gender effects with regard to provocation type are also discussed. (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)     

Adverse School Context Moderates the Outcomes of Selective Interventions for Aggressive Children.

Drawing on social ecological theory and empirical studies on the role of school context in aggression, the authors argue that school adversity is an important consideration in choosing selective interventions for aggressive children. The moderating role of school adversity on intervention effectiveness is illustrated with data from a randomized clinical trial study investigating 2 selective interventions administered to 86 aggressive 2nd and 3rd graders. The authors expected that PrimeTime, an intervention targeting child competencies, would be more effective in low-adversity schools, whereas Lunch Buddy, an intervention targeting peer ecology, would be more effective in high-adversity schools. Hierarchical linear regression analyses showed significant posttreatment effects on composite measures of aggression and achievement for the interaction between the level of school adversity and treatment condition. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Parental correlates of children's peer relations: An empirical test of a tripartite model.

In recognition of the multiple pathways through which family and peer systems are linked, this short-term longitudinal study tested a tripartite model of family-peer relationships. One hundred fifty-nine fourth-grade children (82 boys, 77 girls) and their parents participated in a study of the links between parent behaviors and children's peer relations both concurrently and 1 year later. A multimethod approach--including observations of parent?child interactions, parent report, child report, and teacher and peer ratings--was used to evaluate a tripartite model of family-peer relations. Results indicate that parent?child interaction, parent advice giving, and parental provision of opportunities by both mothers and fathers predict children's social competence and, in turn, social acceptance 1 year later. Suggestions for future research and practical implications are noted, and limitations of the study are acknowledged. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Peer Influences on Risk Behavior: An Analysis of the Effects of a Close Friend.

Cross-sectional research suggests that peer influence has a moderate to strong impact on adolescent risk behavior. Such estimates may be inflated owing to third-variable confounds representing either friendship selection effects or the operation of parallel events. Approximately 1,700 peer dyads in Grades 7 to 11 were studied over a 1-year period to estimate the influence of closest friends on sexual activity and binge drinking. Analyses suggested that peer influence was small but reliable when both selection effects and parallel events were taken into account. Peer influence varied as a function of individual-peer similarity and maternal relations but not in accord with other theoretical predictions. It is suggested that the magnitude of peer effects in previous research may be overestimated in many contexts. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Peer Academic Reputation in Elementary School: Associations With Changes in Self-Concept and Academic Skills.

The developmental significance of children's academic reputation among peers was examined in a longitudinal study of 400 children in Grades 3, 4, and 5. In the fall of Year 1, teachers rated children's academic skills and behavior, and peers provided nominations describing classmates' academic skills, social acceptance versus rejection, and aggressive behavior. In the fall and spring of Year 1, children provided reports of their academic self-concept, social self-concept, and global self-worth. In the fall of Year 2, teachers rated children's academic skills. Results indicated that 4 items assessing peer academic reputation formed an internally consistent scale that was correlated moderately and distinctively with teacher-rated academic skills. Peer academic reputation and teacher-rated academic skills each contributed independently to the prediction of fall-to-spring changes in children's academic self-concept. Peer academic reputation and academic self-concept contributed uniquely to the prediction of changes in teacher-rated academic effort and skills over a 1-year period. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Peer rejection as antecedent of young children's school adjustment: An examination of mediating processes.

Ashort-term longitudinal design (N?=?399) was used to examine peer relations processes that may mediate the relation between peer rejection and children's emotional and academic adjustment during kindergarten. These proposed mediating processes extend the current literature by explicating behavioral pathways via which the attitudinal construct of peer rejection may affect adjustment outcomes. Structural equation modeling results supported the hypothesis that negative peer treatment (e.g., victimization, refusal of peer group entry bids, and exclusion from peer activities) and classroom participation partially mediate the relationship between rejection and adjustment outcomes. Rejected children were more likely to experience negative peer treatment, more likely to show decreases in classroom participation, and more likely to report loneliness, to express a desire to avoid school, and to perform less well on achievement measures. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

How Students and Teachers View the Seriousness of Peer Harassment: When Is It Appropriate to Seek Help?

When schoolchildren are harassed by peers, it sometimes is necessary to seek help from a teacher. However, students and teachers may have a different sense of when it is necessary. The authors investigated students' perceptions of harassment and help seeking, examining whether students' perceptions are related to popularity and whether perceptions of students and teachers differ. Fourth- and 5th-grade students (classified as popular, average, or unpopular) and teachers were interviewed about different types of harassment. Unpopular children perceived teasing more seriously than teachers and other children; in fact, they said that teasing is as serious as threats and physical aggression. Children often are reluctant to seek help because they believe that doing so will not resolve and may exacerbate the situation; unpopular children in particular fear retribution from the perpetrator. Findings suggest that unpopular children are at risk when teachers do not share their sensitivity regarding danger and the need for help. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Interparental Conflict and Adolescent Dating Relationships: Integrating Cognitive, Emotional, and Peer Influences.

This study investigated the ways in which exposure to interparental conflict may affect adolescent dating relationships in a sample of 391 adolescents ages 14 to 18 years. Boys exposed to greater parental discord were more likely to view aggression as justifiable in a romantic relationship, had more difficulty managing anger, and believed that aggressive behavior was more common in their peers' dating relationships. Each of these variables in turn linked witnessing interparental conflict to higher levels of verbal and physical aggression toward their own romantic partners. Interparental conflict was not related to girls' aggressive behavior. These data support the value of targeting cognitive and emotional processes in prevention programs designed to reduce dating violence and suggest that such programs will be strengthened by focusing on peer influences as well. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Testing links between childhood positive peer relations and externalizing outcomes through a randomized controlled intervention study.

In this study, the authors used a randomized controlled trial to explore the link between having positive peer relations and externalizing outcomes in 758 children followed from kindergarten to the end of 2nd grade. Children were randomly assigned to the Good Behavior Game (GBG), a universal classroom-based preventive intervention, or a control condition. Children’s acceptance by peers, their number of mutual friends, and their proximity to others were assessed annually through peer ratings. Externalizing behavior was annually rated by teachers. Reductions in children’s externalizing behavior and improvements in positive peer relations were found among GBG children, as compared with control-group children. Reductions in externalizing behavior appeared to be partly mediated by the improvements in peer acceptance. This mediating role of peer acceptance was found for boys only. The results suggest that positive peer relations are not just markers, but they are environmental mediators of boys’ externalizing behavior development. Implications for research and prevention are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Enmeshed Lives: Adult Children With Developmental Disabilities and Their Aging Mothers.

This article uses equity theory to examine the ways in which aging mothers and their adult children with developmental disabilities support each other and the effects that this exchange has on the caregiving satisfaction and burden of the mothers. Data from 305 mothers revealed that exchange flows both from mother to child and from child to mother. Results indicate that caregiving satisfaction increased when affection from child to mother was greater. Caregiving burden was not affected by either functional support or affection from child to mother. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Incarcerated Mothers' Contact With Children, Perceived Family Relationships, and Depressive Symptoms.

Concurrent relations among contact with children, perceived family relationships, early experiences of relationship disconnection and trauma, and maternal depressive symptoms were examined in 94 incarcerated mothers with children between the ages of 2 and 7 years. Qualitative analysis revealed that most mothers experienced intense distress when initially separated from their children, although many women currently viewed the situation in a more balanced way. Quantitative findings indicated that fewer visits from children and early experiences of relationship disconnection and trauma were associated with elevated maternal depressive symptoms. Mother-child relationships were more positive when mothers had more frequent telephone contact with older children. Moreover, conflicted relationships with caregivers related to less contact between mothers and their children. Results highlight the need for mental health services for incarcerated women and suggest that interventions aimed at increasing contact between imprisoned mothers and their children should consider the quality of the mother-caregiver relationship. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Young Adults' Perceptions of Children With Cerebral Palsy.

Objective: To examine factors influencing young adults' perceptions of children with cerebral palsy. Participants and Procedure: A total of 180 college students read vignettes about a healthy child or a child with cerebral palsy with mild or moderate physical impairments. Main Outcome Measure: Perceptions of the child (Ratings of the Child Questionnaire). Results: Young adults held less positive perceptions of children with cerebral palsy compared with a healthy child. Women endorsed more positive perceptions for all children than men. Knowledge about cerebral palsy and wanting to work with children were related to positive perceptions of children with cerebral palsy. Conclusions: Young adults' negative perceptions of children with cerebral palsy suggest the need for interventions to improve their knowledge about this condition. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Adolescent Girls' Interpersonal Vulnerability to Depressive Symptoms: A Longitudinal Examination of Reassurance-Seeking and Peer Relationships.

A transactional, interpersonal framework involving adolescents' reassurance-seeking and peer experiences may be useful for understanding the emergence of gender differences in depression prevalence during the adolescent transition. Sociometric nominations of peer acceptance/rejection and ratings of friendship quality provided by adolescents and their friends were used to measure peer experiences among 6th-8th-grade adolescents (N = 520) over 3 annual time points. After controlling for age and pubertal development, significant but small prospective effects offered mixed support for hypotheses: (a) depressive symptoms and negative peer relations predicted increasing levels of girls' reassurance-seeking; (b) initial levels of reassurance-seeking and depressive symptoms predicted deteriorating friendship quality among girls and low friendship stability, respectively; and (c) reassurance-seeking combined with poor peer experiences predicted increases in girls' depressive symptoms. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Concordance in Attachment States of Mind and Styles With Respect to Fathers and Mothers.

It is believed that by adulthood, independent attachments to the mother and the father coalesce into a single state of mind with respect to attachment. If true, states of mind with respect to mothers and fathers should be concordant. Fifty-six young adults were administered two versions of the Adult Attachment Interview, each of which asked about their relationship with one parent. State of mind with respect to the father was significantly related to state of mind with respect to the mother, as were attachment styles regarding the two parents. Perceptions of attachment styles were not very related to corresponding states of mind but were related to inferred loving from a parent. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Deviant of diverse peer groups? The peer affiliations of aggressive elementary students.

This study examined peer affiliations of aggressive children in a sample of 948 students (496 girls, 452 boys) from 59 elementary classrooms (4th-6th grades). Groups were identified as zero aggressive, nonaggressive, aggressive, and mixed. The deviant peer group hypothesis was partially supported. Two thirds of aggressive boys and one half of aggressive girls were members of nonaggressive or mixed peer groups. Unpopular aggressive boys were most likely to be members of nonaggressive groups, whereas popular aggressive boys were most likely to be in aggressive and mixed groups. Aggressive and nonaggressive associates tended to he similar on key social characteristics (i.e., popularity, athleticism, leadership). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Gaining a Better Understanding of Peer Group Contributions to Dating Aggression-Implications for Prevention and Intervention Programming: Comment on Kinsfogel and Grych (2004).

K. M. Kinsfogel and J. H. Grych's (2004) article presents a theoretical model to examine the mechanisms by which interparental conflict is associated with adolescents' dating aggression. The study is noteworthy in its focus on the influence of less severe forms of interparental conflict than in most prior investigations, and in the attention it places on the peer group social context in understanding the subtleties of adolescents' intimate relationships. The study provides valuable information about the association between conflictual marital relations and dating aggression among male adolescents while highlighting the need for new models to understand the role of marital conflict in the expression of dating aggression among female adolescents. The study has important implications for partnering with male adolescents to design and adapt dating aggression programs. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Construction and Evaluation of a Number Sense Test With Head Start Children.

The reliability and, to a lesser extent, the validity of the newly created Number Sense Test was evaluated with a group of 40 3- to 5-year-old children attending Head Start. Six number sense skills (e.g., counting, number identification, addition-subtraction) and children's feelings about school were assessed both before and after instruction either in 2 of these skills (i.e., counting and number identification) or in insects (i.e., an attention control condition). The Number Sense Test was found to have high internal consistency and to be a valid means of assessing pre- to posttest improvements in instructed skills as a function of condition. Except for addition-subtraction, training effects did not generalize to non-instructed number sense skills. In neither condition did instruction have a harmful effect on children's largely positive feelings about school. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Aggressive behavior between siblings and the development of externalizing problems: Evidence from a genetically sensitive study.

This study investigated the prospective links between sibling aggression and the development of externalizing problems using a multilevel modeling approach with a genetically sensitive design. The sample consisted of 780 adolescents (390 sibling pairs) who participated in 2 waves of the Nonshared Environment in Adolescent Development project. Sibling pairs with varying degree of genetic relatedness, including monozygotic twins, dizygotic twins, full siblings, half siblings, and genetically unrelated siblings, were included. The results showed that sibling aggression at Time 1 was significantly associated with the focal child’s externalizing problems at Time 2 after accounting for the intraclass correlations between siblings. Sibling aggression remained significant in predicting subsequent externalizing problems even after controlling for the levels of preexisting externalizing problems and mothers’ punitive parenting. This pattern of results was fairly robust across models with different informants. The findings provide converging evidence for the unique contribution of sibling aggression in understanding changes in externalizing problems during adolescence. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)