Middle Childhood The social world

Question 1

the framework of Peer Relations research

Answer 1

Individual: social, cognitive, and affective variables
Social: aggression, social withdrawal, pro social behavior
Peer regard- sociometric status (acceptance, rejection) perceived popularity, friendships

Question 2

definitions and adjustment correlates of instrumental and reactive aggression,

Answer 2

Dodge and Coie instrumental aggression- perceived as a leader and having a sense of humor (Social learning model)
Reactive aggression- hostile attribution bias and skewed intention perception (aggression frustation model)

Question 3

cognitive (information processing) basis of instrumental and reactive aggression

Answer 3

Aggressive children have ‘distortions’ or ‘biases’ in their cognitive processing (instrumentally and reactively aggressive children at different phases of
the information processing cycle) and they are rejected by their peers.

Question 4

the idea and measurement of peer acceptance (sociometric status)
and perceived popularity; how these are different, but related constructs

Answer 4

Perceived Popularity (= reputational status)
* Measures visible, reputational based role in the peer group
-> not ’who I like’, but who is popular in the eyes of others/everyone?
Sociometric & perceived popularity: related but not redundant

Question 5

behavioral and adjustment correlates of perceived popularity

Answer 5

Perceived Popularity (reputational status) is related to:
* the combination of aggressive and prosocial characteristics (Hawley, 2003)
* more relational than overt aggression (e.g., Cillessen & Mayeux, 2004)
* being cool, athletic, antisocial (Rodkin & Farmer, 2000)
* having a central position in peer networks (Rodkin & Farmer, 2000)

Question 6

longitudinal outcomes of peer rejection vs. perceived popularity

Answer 6

• Positively correlated (some well accepted/liked children are also
  perceived to be ’cool’ and powerfull in the peer group)
• However, only 36% of sociometrically popular children are also perceived
  popular and only 29% of perceived popular children are also sociometrically popular (Parkhurst & Hopmeyer, 1998)

Question 7

how aggression is generally related to rejection by peers, but how it also can
be related to perceived popularity

Answer 7

aggression is related to peer rejection
Perceived popularity captures something unique in adjustment
* thus, it enables us to understand social development in more depth