| Abstract: | Examined students' perceptions of social support behaviors exhibited by significant adults and peers at school. A total of 29 teachers and 94 boys, in Grades 3–6, and their parents participated in the study. Approximately half of the boys displayed significant levels of behaviors characteristic of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The remaining boys did not display characteristics of ADHD. Information on students' academic performance, social skills, self-concept, and problem behaviors was assessed via rating scales completed by the students and their respective parents and teachers. Brief questionnaires were also used to collect perceptions of social support from the teachers and parents. The data indicated that children with characteristics of ADHD perceived lower frequencies of overall social support. Both the ADHD characteristics group and comparison group perceived the importance of social support similarly; social support was moderately and significantly correlated with self-concept and student-reported positive social skill behaviors; and students' perceptions of social support were moderately related to parents' and teachers' perceptions of the frequency of social support they make available. These results are discussed and their implications for future research and practice are outlined. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved) |
