A revised class play method of peer assessment.

Presents a revised version of the class play (RCP) method of peer assessment for children, which was designed to improve the assessment of social competence as well as the psychometric properties of the class play method. The RCP consists of 30 roles, 15 positive and 15 negative, that 612 3rd–6th graders were told to assign to their classmates according to which classmate would play the role best. Ss were also rated by their teachers on the Devereux Elementary School Behavior Rating Scale and were administered the Peabody Individual Achievement Test, the Vocabulary and Block Design subtests of the WISC—R, and the Duncan Socioeconomic Index. Three RCP scores were derived based on factor analysis that revealed 3 dimensions: Sociability-Leadership, Aggressive-Disruptive, and Sensitive-Isolated. Data are presented relating the 3 scores, which proved to be reliable and stable at intervals of 6 and 17 mo, to SES, IQ, achievement, and teacher ratings. Positive reputation was associated with other aspects of social and intellectual competence, whereas isolated reputation was linked to difficulties at school. Multiple regression analyses suggested that a pattern of low-positive, high aggressive-disruptive, and high-isolated peer reputation is the least competent. The advantages of multidimensional scoring and analysis of peer reputation are demonstrated by the results. (37 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)