Other-sex Peers Research Articles

Mixed-sex peer groups and violent delinquency: understanding the separate and combined influence of mixed-sex peer groups, sex, and romance on violent delinquency

ABSTRACT Prior studies suggest peer group sex composition is an important correlate of delinquency, but these studies often conflate the influence of other-sex peers with that of romantic and intimate partners. This research seeks to understand the influence of other-sex peers as separate from, but related to, romantic activity and sexual debut. I find that while sexual and romantic activity predict mixed-sex peer group (MSPG) membership, they do not fully explain the positive relationship between MSPG membership and violent delinquency. Guided by literature on gender socialization and the institutionalization of heteronormativity, I argue this result can be explained as the result of a heteronormative culture that problematizes platonic, other-sex interactions and forces adolescents to maintain other-sex friendships in non-surveilled spaces.

The Inclusion of Other-Sex Peers in Peer Networks and Sense of Peer Integration in Early Adolescence: A Two-Wave Longitudinal Study.

The main goal of the analysis presented in this paper is to examine the dynamics of including other-sex peers in the peer networks of early adolescents, aged 11 (at T1) and 13 (at T2), and the relationship between sex heterophily and changes in the sense of peer integration. The analysis was conducted using the Latent Difference Score (LDS) model with data from a representative nationwide longitudinal study in Poland (n = 5748). With reference to the dynamics related to the heterophilic process, the research confirmed that at the beginning of grade 5 of primary school, heterophily is still relatively rare, yet towards the end of early adolescence, there is a gradual shift, more strongly in girls, towards breaking through the strictly same-sex segregation and embarking on heterophilic relationships. Importantly, the LDS model-even when controlling for different measures of peer network-showed significant and positive (among both girls and boys) relations between establishing cross-sex relationships and the sense of peer integration. The results indicate that the appearance of the opposite sex in the peer network between grades 5 and 6 will improve the sense of peer integration. The findings are discussed in relation to results from other studies in the field.

Associations Between Peer-Perceived and Self-Perceived Gender Typicality and Peer Status in Early Adolescence

Gender-typical characteristics are associated with popularity and acceptance, suggesting that gender typicality is an important component of how adolescents are perceived by peers. The current study addressed the contributions of self- and peer-perceived gender typicality in predicting popularity and liking among same- and other-sex peers. Participants were 131 7th and 8th graders from a rural, midwestern school. Same- and other-sex peer status were measured via peer nominations; gender typicality was measured via both peer nominations and self-report. Hierarchical regressions showed that self-perceived gender typicality was negatively associated with popularity among other-sex peers, and it was not closely tied to liking by same- or other-sex peers. Peer-perceived gender typicality was positively associated with liking by same-sex peers, and strongly associated with popularity among both same- and other-sex peers. The findings also suggest that gender typicality plays a more significant role in reputational, power-based status than it does for being liked.

Children’s Interactions in Ability-based Groups in a Primary Classroom

The article reports data from an aspect of the study which aimed to study the nature of children’s interactions and their perceptions of ability-based groups in a primary classroom in England. Previous studies on ability-based group have mainly used quantitative research designs to study children’s interactions and appeared to award less opportunities to children to talk about their experiences of working in ability-based groups. This study has used qualitative ethnographic research design to study children’s interactions and their perceptions of working in ability-based groups. Children’s interactions were studied using participant observations and debriefing activities were used to elicit children’s perspectives on their recorded interactions. Furthermore, informal conversational interviews were also used to hear children’s perspectives on their experiences of working in ability-based groups. The article only focuses on data related to children’s interactions, which revealed that children appeared to be cooperative, non-cooperative and competitive towards their peers in ability-based groups. We noted that children interpreted the group structure and learning task distinctively when deciding whether or not to work with others in groups. In some cases, children exhibited gender-biased attitudes while interacting with their peers. Children showed cooperative attitudes towards same-sex peers and non-cooperative attitudes towards other-sex peers. The findings highlight the importance of fully understanding children’s contexts and their dynamic influences on children’s interactions during their routinely organised ability-based group work. These also highlight the importance of listening to children’s perspectives while studying their interactions in ability groups in the mainstream primary classrooms.

Peer Victimisation in Early Childhood; Observations of Participant Roles and Sex Differences

During middle childhood and adolescence, victimisation appears to be a group process involving different participant roles. However, peer reports with younger children (four to six years old) have failed to identify the participant roles of assistant (to the bully) reinforcers or defenders with much reliability. This may be because peer victimisation is a more dyadic process among younger children (behavioural reality), or because of limitations in young children’s cognitive capacity to identify these behaviours (cognitive limitations). The findings of an observational study which examined the group nature of peer victimisation among young children are presented. Observations were made of 56 children aged four and five years using time sampling during free play at school (totalling 43.5 h of observation). Records were made of their behaviour when an onlooker witnessed aggression by others, and also of others’ behaviour when they were being aggressive or being victimised. Although children other than the aggressor and target were present in nearly two thirds of the episodes of peer victimisation observed, few exhibited behavioural responses in line with the assistant, reinforcer or defender roles. This supports the behavioural reality rather than the cognitive limitations explanation. Sex differences were observed in types of aggression displayed by children, with boys more likely than girls to be physically aggressive. Children were less likely to be aggressive to other-sex peers and were most likely to be victimised by children of the same sex as them. There were also sex differences in children’s onlooker behaviour. The implications for our understanding of the development of peer victimisation and bullying in children are discussed.

Being an other-sex crush during early adolescence in India: Investigating socio-behavioral and psychological concomitants

IntroductionAfter years of neglect, there is now strong empirical interest in adolescents' romantic experiences. Most studies, however, focus on adolescents’ romantic relationships in Western societies and fail to consider other-types of romantic experiences and adolescents who reside in non-Western societies. MethodsThe present study begins to address these research gaps by examining the social-behavioral and psychological concomitants of being viewed by many other-sex peers as a crush, or having high crush status, in a large (N = 445; 56% male; Mage = 13.77 years, SD = 0.43) longitudinal sample of young adolescents in urban India. ResultsUtilizing self- and peer-report data, results provide the first evidence that being viewed by many peers as an other-sex crush in India is related to some of the same (i.e., physical attractiveness), but also different (i.e., shyness) social-behavioral characteristics relative to what has been found in studies of young adolescents from the United States. Further analysis revealed new evidence regarding the unique social-behavioral (i.e., decreased physical aggression) and psychological (i.e., decreased social anxiety) outcomes associated with high crush status in urban India. ConclusionsTaken as a whole, results underscore the importance of considering the larger cultural context in studies of young adolescents’ crush experiences.

Media ideals and other-sex peer norms among Belgian early adolescents: equating self-worth with attractiveness

The purpose of this study was to investigate how total amount of television and magazine exposure and heterosocial involvement (i.e., mixed-sex interactions) relate to the endorsement of dysfunctional appearance beliefs. We anticipated a double dose effect in that exposure to media would be related to more dysfunctional appearance beliefs among those who are frequently involved in mixed-sex interactions. A total of 1976 early adolescent boys and girls (Mage = 11.77; SD = 1.04) participated in a cross-sectional study. Results indicated that the internalization of appearance ideals and appearance expectations of opposite-sex peers mediated the association between amount of television and magazine exposure and the endorsement of dysfunctional appearance beliefs. Heterosocial involvement did not, however, strengthen the influence of media exposure on early adolescents’ body image.

Self-concept changes in multiple self-concept domains of gifted students participating in a summer residential school

ABSTRACTThe present study investigated changes in self-esteem, academic self-concept, intellectual self-concept, and social self-concepts of acceptance, assertion, relations with same-sex peers and relations with other-sex peers with 177 gifted students participating in a 16-day summer school in Germany. Students were assessed three times by self-report questionnaires, one or three weeks before the school started, at the seventh day, and at the fifteenth day of the summer school. Scales showed strict measurement invariance over time such that scale means could be compared by repeated measures ANOVAs. Although academic self-concept did not change over time, intellectual self-concept showed a decrease during the visit of the school that was of small effect size (Hedges’ g = .13). Descriptively, self-esteem showed a positive development over time, but this increase was small and not significant. The social self-concepts of acceptance, relations with same-sex peers, and relations with other-sex peers significantly increased over time (Hedges’ |g| between .14 and .40). Changes were comparable for male and female students. Overall, our findings support summer schools as an effective means to foster gifted students’ socioemotional needs.

The Nature and Impact of Gendered Patterns of Peer Sexual Communications Among Heterosexual Emerging Adults

Although previous research demonstrates that peers serve as top sexual informants and advisers, little is known about how peer sexual communications may be a gendered phenomenon. Do communications about sex and romantic relationships vary according to who is speaking to whom? The current study examined 517 college students’ reports of male and female peers’ communications of four sexual scripts and the associations between reports of such communications and participants’ sexual attitudes and levels of sexual and dating experience. Results suggest that peer messages about sex and relationships vary by the gender of the recipient and the gender of the communicator. Women reported more frequent communications of all sexual scripts from female peers than did men. In terms of male peers’ sexual communications, only one gender difference emerged: men reported receiving significantly fewer messages about the relational script than women. Compared to same-sex peer communications, there were more associations between other-sex peer communications and undergraduates’ sexual attitudes and levels of sexual and dating experience. Implications for the role of same- and other-sex peers in sexual socialization are discussed.

Behind bullying and defending: Same‐sex and other‐sex relations and their associations with acceptance and rejection

Relatively little is known about bullying and defending behaviors of children in early elementary school. However, this period is crucial for children's development as at this age they start to participate in a stable peer group, and difficulties in social interactions can be detected early by professionals. An interactive animated web-based computer program was used in this study to assess peer relationships among young children. The computerized assessment was conducted among 2,135 children in grades 1-2 from 22 elementary schools to examine the association of bullying, victimization, and defending with being accepted or rejected. Same-sex and other-sex peer relations were distinguished using dyadic data. Both boys and girls were more likely to accept same-sex classmates than other-sex classmates, and boys were more often nominated than girls as perpetrators of bullying against both boys and girls. It was found that bullies were rejected by those for whom they posed a potential threat, and that defenders were preferred by those classmates for whom they were a potential source of protection. Bullies chose victims who were rejected by significant others, but contrary to expectations, children who bullied boys scored low on peer affection. It is possible that these bullies were not strategic enough to select the "right" targets. Overall, the current findings provide evidence for strategies involved in bullying and defending at early age.

Being Bullied by Same- versus Other-Sex Peers: Does It Matter for Adolescent Victims?

The negative consequences of peer victimization on psychosocial adjustment are well documented. The consequences, however, may depend on who the bullies are. In this study, we examined the consequences of same- versus other-sex victimization. The sample consisted of 4,941 Finnish adolescents (ages 14–15; 47.7% boys). We used structural equation modeling to examine both concurrent and longitudinal associations of same- and other-sex victimization with depression, negative perception of peers, and social self-esteem. Both same- and other-sex victimization were related to psychosocial adjustment. Concurrently, the victimization experiences with same-sex peers in particular were associated with generalized cognitions about peers, whereas being bullied by other-sex peers was related to adolescents’ social self-esteem more strongly than victimization by same-sex peers. The longitudinal associations, in turn, showed that only being bullied by boys had carry-over effects on girls’ adjustment. Other-sex victimization can have serious consequences especially on girls’ psychosocial adjustment. [Supplementary material is available for this article. Go to the publisher's online edition of the Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology for the following supplemental resource: Complementary information on model fit indices and the nested model chi-square difference tests.]

Same‐ and Other‐Sex Victimization: Are the Risk Factors Similar?

Risk factors for same- and other-sex victimization were examined in a longitudinal data set involving 9- to 14-year-old students. The findings regarding same-sex victimization supported the view that bullies select personally and interpersonally vulnerable targets in order to maximize their gains in status while minimizing loss of affection within their same-sex peer group. Although low self-esteem was a joint predictor of same- and other-sex victimization, rejection and lack of friends among other-sex peers failed to predict victimization by other-sex bullies, and being perceived as popular among other-sex peers increased the risk. Although the findings suggests that interpersonal risk factors for other-sex victimization differ from those found for same-sex victimization, they do not provide strong support for heterosexual interest being the basis for other-sex target selection, as suggested by some previous literature. As about half of the study participants were involved in the KiVa antibullying program, we had the possibility to examine whether the program effects were similar for same- and other-sex victimization. It turned out that in middle schools the program decreased only same-sex victimization, whereas in elementary school the decrease was observed regardless of the sex composition of bully-victim dyads.

Having and being an other-sex crush during early adolescence

This study examined other-sex crush experiences (both having and being perceived as an other-sex crush) among 544 young adolescents (mean age=12.74 years). Results indicated that 56% had at least one current other-sex crush, with little overlap between crushes, friends, and boyfriends/girlfriends. Significant associations between other-sex crush scores (scores reflecting the number of crush nominations received) and physical attractiveness, relational aggression, physical aggression, and popularity, as reported by same-sex and other-sex peers, were found. In addition, crush scores were (a) associated with same-sex likeability for boys (but not girls) and (b) uniquely related to peer nominations of popularity and physical attractiveness, as reported by other-sex peers. Neither having nor being perceived as an other-sex crush was uniquely related to loneliness. Taken together, the findings suggest that other-sex crushes are normative experiences during early adolescence that warrant further research attention.

Logging on, bouncing back: An experimental investigation of online communication following social exclusion.

A majority of U.S. adolescents at least occasionally communicate on the Internet with unknown peers. This study tested the hypothesis that online communication with an unknown peer facilitates recovery from the acute aversive effects of social exclusion and examined whether this benefit may be greater for adolescents compared with young adults. A total of 72 young adults (mean age = 18.4 years) and 51 adolescents (mean age = 12.5 years) were randomly assigned to undergo a standardized laboratory induction of social inclusion or exclusion, followed by 12 min of either communication with an unfamiliar other-sex peer or solitary computer game play. Compared with solitary game play, instant messaging with an unfamiliar peer facilitated greater replenishment of self-esteem and perceived relational value among previously excluded adolescents and young adults. Online communication also resulted in greater reduction of negative affect among adolescents but not among young adults.

유아의 놀이 선호 유형과 또래유능성 및 또래수용도의 관계

The purpose of this study was to investigate young children's play preferences through observation at their classrooms and to examine the relationship between children's play preferences and their peer competence and peer acceptance. The subjects were 55 four-year-old children from a kindergarten in C city of Chungnam province. The data was analyzed by MANOVA, t-test, and Pearson's correlation. The results were as follows: first, boys and girls showed different play preferences except for language play and science play. Boys were better liked by same-sex peers while girls were better liked by other-sex peers. Second, there were significant correlations among certain play preferences. Block play preferences were negatively correlated with other play preferences. Third, some play preferences were significantly associated with some sub-dimensions of peer competence. Language play displayed a positive relationship to pro-social behavior, but art play showed a negative relationship to leadership. Finally, peer acceptance was positively correlated only with number/manipulation play preferences. Other-sex peer acceptance was positively correlated with number/manipulation play preferences and art play preferences but negatively with block play preferences.

Effects of Popularity and Gender on Peers' Perceptions of Prosocial, Antisocial, and Jealousy-Eliciting Behaviors

Perceived popularity is associated with both positive and negative characteristics, and adolescents' stereotypes associated with popularity reflect this paradox. The current study investigated adolescents' stereotypes associated with popularity and gender, as well as their liking for popular peers who engage in prosocial, antisocial, and jealousy-eliciting behaviors. Of particular interest was how adolescents perceive the behaviors of same-sex versus other-sex peers of varying levels of popularity. A total of 190 seventh and ninth graders were randomly assigned to evaluate, via a series of vignettes, a hypothetical same-sex and other-sex peer who was either popular, unpopular, or of neutral status. Results suggest that adolescents view popular peers as less prosocial, more antisocial, and as eliciting more romantic jealousy than other peers. Adolescents' expectations regarding prosocial and antisocial behavior generally reflected widely held gender stereotypes. They were more accepting of antisocial behaviors enacted by other-sex peers compared to same-sex peers.

Other-Sex Friendships in Late Adolescence: Risky Associations for Substance Use and Sexual Debut?

Adolescents’ friendships with other-sex peers serve important developmental functions, but they may also facilitate engagement in problem behavior. This study examines the unique contributions of other-sex friendships and friends’ behavior to alcohol use, smoking, and initiation of sexual intercourse among late adolescent girls and boys. A total of 320 adolescents (53% girls; 33% racial/ethnic minorities) provided sociometric nominations of friendships annually in grades 10–12. Friendship networks were derived using social network analysis in each grade. Adolescents and their friends also reported on their alcohol use, smoking, and sexual debut at each assessment. After controlling for demographics, previous problem behavior, and friends’ behavior, other-sex friendships in 10th grade were associated with initiation of smoking among girls over the following year, and other-sex friendships in 11th grade were linked with lower levels of subsequent alcohol use among boys. Additionally, friends’ smoking and sexual experience in 10th grade predicted the same behaviors for all adolescents over the following year. Other-sex friendships thus appear to serve as a risk context for adolescent girls’ smoking and a protective context for adolescent boys’ drinking. Promoting mixed-gender activities and friendships among older high school students may be helpful in reducing males’ alcohol use, but may need to incorporate additional components to prevent increases in females’ smoking.

Differing Levels of Gender Salience in Preschool Classrooms: Effects on Children’s Gender Attitudes and Intergroup Bias

Developmental intergroup theory posits that when environments make social-group membership salient, children will be particularly likely to apply categorization processes to social groups, thereby increasing stereotypes and prejudices. To test the predicted impact of environmental gender salience, 3- to 5-year-old children (N = 57) completed gender attitude, intergroup bias, and personal preference measures at the beginning and end of a 2-week period during which teachers either did or did not make gender salient. Observations of peer play were also made at both times. After 2 weeks, children in the high- (but not low-) salience condition showed significantly increased gender stereotypes, less positive ratings of other-sex peers, and decreased play with other-sex peers. Children's own activity and occupational preferences, however, remained unaffected.

Logging on, bouncing back: An experimental investigation of online communication following social exclusion.

A majority of U.S. adolescents at least occasionally communicate on the Internet with unknown peers. This study tested the hypothesis that online communication with an unknown peer facilitates recovery from the acute aversive effects of social exclusion and examined whether this benefit may be greater for adolescents compared with young adults. A total of 72 young adults (mean age = 18.4 years) and 51 adolescents (mean age = 12.5 years) were randomly assigned to undergo a standardized laboratory induction of social inclusion or exclusion, followed by 12 min of either communication with an unfamiliar other-sex peer or solitary computer game play. Compared with solitary game play, instant messaging with an unfamiliar peer facilitated greater replenishment of self-esteem and perceived relational value among previously excluded adolescents and young adults. Online communication also resulted in greater reduction of negative affect among adolescents but not among young adults.

A state conceptualization: Are individuals’ masculine and feminine personality traits situationally influenced?

College students’ ( N = 200, 100 males; M age = 19.53; SD = 3.64) reported masculinity and femininity varied according to partner sex (other-, same-sex) and context (cooperative, competitive). Participants worked cooperatively or competitively with same- or other-sex peers to create Origami figures. Stereotypical gender differences were most apparent when instructions emphasized cooperation. Partner sex (same-sex) cued femininity for women and context (cooperative) cued masculinity for men. The study strengthens the claim that, in addition to a stable trait component, there is a flexible state component of masculinity and femininity that varies according to proximal situational demands.