Parent-child physical play with rejected, neglected, and popular boys.

This study compares the parent–child interactions of rejected, neglected, and popular boys in a paradigm emphasizing physical play. Twelve boys, 3 to 5 years of age, of each sociometric category were recruited from nursery schools and observed in interactions with their parents at home. It was found that the fathers of neglected boys engaged in less affectively arousing, physical play than the fathers of popular and rejected boys. In addition, there was more overstimulation and avoidance of stimulation among the rejected boys compared with the popular boys. The results indicate the importance of the regulation of affect for social competence and illustrate strong links between the parent and peer social systems. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)