Effects of sociometric testing on children's behavior and loneliness in school.

Examined the effects of a positive and negative peer nomination sociometric measure on children's (a) interactions with peers in general, (b) interactions with preferred and nonpreferred playmates, and (c) ratings of mood and of loneliness in school. Twenty-three 5th graders completed either a peer nomination sociometric or a control task (nominating preferred and nonpreferred school subjects). Before and after the nomination task, observers assessed the affective quality (positive, neutral, or negative) of subjects' peer interactions, and children completed mood and loneliness questionnaires. The procedures were subsequently replicated by administering the sociometric task to the control subjects. Analyses revealed no differences between the peer and control nomination task groups on any of the dependent variables measured. Analyses of pre–post differences provided no evidence of negative effects, suggesting that the risk to elementary-school-age children of completing such a sociometric measure, provided certain procedural guidelines are followed, may be minimal. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Assessing elementary school children's social skills: Evaluation of the parent version of the Matson Evaluation of Social Skills with Youngsters.

This study examined J. L. Matson's (1990) assertion that the Teacher Version of the Matson Evaluation of Social Skills with Youngsters (MESSY) can also be used with parents. Parents and teachers of 179 children completed the MESSY. Parent- and teacher-completed MESSYs were compared on factor structure, score convergence, and relationship to conceptually relevant cognitive and behavioral variables. Additionally, the factor structure and correlates of the parent-teacher composite scores were examined. Results suggested that the parent-reported MESSY does not show a particularly stable factor structure and is not highly related to teacher reports. However, the composite score, which integrated parent and teacher reports, may be a reasonable means of involving parents in reports of children's social skills. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Application of the Stages of Change Scale in a clinical drug trial

The Stages of Change Scale (SOC: McConnaughy, Prochaska, & Velicer, 1983) was used to predict outcome among 131 outpatients with generalized anxiety disorder who were enrolled in a clinical drug trial. As predicted, subjects high on Precontemplation did not experience as much relief from anxiety as subjects low on Precontemplation, whereas subjects high on Contemplation or Action experienced more decrease in anxiety during the trial than subjects low on these stages. Contrary to our hypothesis, only Contemplation was related to illness severity changes, and scores on the Maintenance scale were not related to outcome. Of the four stage scores, only Maintenance was related to premature termination of treatment. There were no differences between drug (adinazolam) and placebo groups and only Action scores interacted with drug/placebo assignment in this study. Results suggest that the SOC may be useful in identifying individuals who are most likely to experience decreased anxiety while enrolled in a clinical drug trial.     

Ethical administration of sociometric measures: Procedures in use and suggestions for improvement.

Success in the ethical use of sociometric measures requires understanding the impact of the variety of procedures in use. This study identified sociometric testing procedures currently in use in the peer-relations literature and summarized procedures that researchers have found useful in minimizing risk to research participants. Researchers who use sociometric measures (n?=?145) completed a survey about procedures used in their sociometric research. Results indicated variability in sociometric question format, consent-assent procedures, confidentiality instructions, and scheduling and administration procedures. Procedures for conducting sociometric research so as to maximize adherence to the Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct (American Psychological Association, 1992) and to minimize risk to children are suggested, and needs for future research on sociometric testing are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)