Teacher Practices, Peer Dynamics, and Academic Enablers: A Pilot Study Exploring Direct and Indirect Effects Among Children at Risk for ADHD and Their Classmates

Establishing a positive peer climate in elementary school classrooms is an important goal for educators because peer dynamics are thought to affect academic learning. Thus, it is important to (a) understand the relationship between children's peer dynamics and academic functioning, and (b) identify teacher practices that influence both peer processes and academic outcomes. In this pilot study, we explored whether specific teacher strategies that promote positive behaviors in children and positive peer dynamics influence children's better academic enablers, as well as whether they do so indirectly via improving peer sociometric ratings. Such teacher strategies may be particularly relevant for supporting children who demonstrate impairment in both social and academic domains, such as children at risk for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Thus, we also examined whether these relationships differ for children with elevated ADHD symptoms and peer problems (i.e., target students), relative to classmates (i.e., non-target students). Participants were 194 children in the classrooms of 12 teachers (grades K-4) who participated in an open-trial pilot study of the school-based version of the Making Socially Accepting Inclusive Classrooms (MOSAIC) program. In the fall and spring of a school year, we assessed children's sociometric ratings received from peers, and academic enabler skills as rated by teachers. Throughout one academic year, we obtained assessments of teachers' use of MOSAIC strategies (observed and self-reported). Results showed that, after accounting for fall academic enablers, the teacher strategy of CARE time (involving one-on-one interaction with the student to build the teacher-student relationship) was positively associated with spring academic enablers. However, findings did not support the hypothesized indirect effect of peer sociometric ratings on the relationship between teacher strategy use and academic enablers, or the moderated indirect effect by target student status. Implications for future research and classroom interventions are discussed.

Atypical social communication is associated with positive initial impressions among peers with autism spectrum disorder

Atypical social communication is a key indicator of autism spectrum disorder and has long been presumed to interfere with friendship formation and first impressions among typically developing youth. However, emerging literature suggests that such atypicalities may function differently among groups of peers with autism spectrum disorder. The current study aimed to investigate the relationship between atypical social communication patterns and first impression sociometric ratings by peers in groups of youth with autism spectrum disorder. Findings suggest that, contrary to typically developing individuals, several forms of atypical communication among youth with autism spectrum disorder are associated with more positive first impressions by others with autism spectrum disorder. This suggests that interventions designed to increase friendships among youth with autism spectrum disorder may benefit from reframing their approach to addressing atypical social communication.

Social Anxiety and Relationship Formation During the College Transition: Self-Verification, Self-Image, and Victimization

This study tested a self-verification model of social anxiety in the context of relationship formation during the transition to college. Incoming college freshmen (N = 68) completed measures of social anxiety and social self-esteem at the beginning of college and 10 weeks later. Using sociometric ratings completed 10 weeks later, relational victimization appeared to be a unitary construct and not distinct from physical victimization. Participants with low social self-esteem at Time 1 were subsequently seen as victimized, reported disliking spending time at Time 2 with peers who reported liking them, and reported high social anxiety at Time 2 even in the absence of subsequent victimization. The implications of these results for understanding the role of self-verification processes in the maintenance of self-image and social anxiety are discussed.

Computerized sociometric assessment for preschool children

In preschool classes, sociometric peer ratings are used to measure children’s peer relationships. The current study examined a computerized version of preschool sociometric ratings. The psychometric properties were compared of computerized sociometric ratings and traditional peer ratings for preschoolers. The distributions, inter-item correlations, and reliabilities of sociometric scores were comparable between the computerized assessment and traditional assessment. The computerized assessment provided additional data for further analysis of the peer evaluation process. Therefore, computerized peer ratings are a promising tool for sociometric measurement with preschool children.

Sociometric status of young adults: Behavioural correlates, and cognitive-motivational antecedents and consequences

A cross-lagged longitudinal study was carried out to investigate whether social reaction styles and loneliness serve as antecedents and consequences of sociometric status among young adults. Behavioural correlates of sociometric status were also studied. Questionnaires measuring sociometric ratings, social reaction styles, loneliness, and group atmosphere were ”lled in by 154 students one week after starting at a new school, then half a year later, and ”nally, one year later. In Measurement 2, the participants’ social behaviour was rated by their classmates. The results indicated that social reaction styles, feelings of loneliness, and satisfaction with the group atmosphere prospectively predicted sociometric status: Popularity, for example, was predicted by a high level of approach orientation. Sociometric status also predicted changes in individuals’ reaction styles and feelings of loneliness. For instance, popularity increased optimism and decreased loneliness. Finally, high sociometric status was related to prosocial behaviours, whereas low sociometric status was associated with behavioural deficiencies.

Peer acceptance in early childhood and subtypes of socially withdrawn behaviour in China, Russia, and the United States

To assess whether subtypes of withdrawal could be similarly identified by teachers and linked to peer group adjustment in mainland China, Russia, and the United States, 642 4- to 6-year-old children in these diverse cultural contexts were rated on items reflecting reticent, solitary-passive, solitary-active, and sociable behaviour (cf. Coplan & Rubin, 1998). Linkages of childhood withdrawal to peer group adjustment were also investigated using peer sociometric ratings. Findings, based on multisample confirmatory factor analysis, indicated that separate factors were required to represent the three withdrawn subtypes in each cultural setting. However, US and Russian teachers made finer discriminations between subtypes than did Chinese teachers. Controlling for other withdrawn subtypes, reticent behaviour was uniquely related to lower sociometric ratings in all three cultures. Sociability was associated with higher sociometric ratings in these diverse settings. Findings are interpreted in the light of cultural considerations.