Peer Reports Research Articles

Who has different-race friends, and does it depend on context? Openness (to other), but not agreeableness, predicts lower racial homophily in friendship networks.

People form relationships with people from their own racial groups, a phenomenon called racial homophily, which reduces interracial contact and exacerbates inequality and prejudice. Although viewed as arising from environmental factors, we argue that racial homophily also involves individual choice and, thus, personality factors. We address three major issues. First, are interpersonal concerns (Agreeableness) and intergroup concerns (Openness) differentially relevant to cross-race friendships? Second, are current conceptions of Openness sufficient, or do we need lower-level facets more attuned to intergroup concerns? Third, can we specify the interplay between personality and contextual factors in different settings? Across four studies (total N = 1,820), Agreeableness failed to predict more cross-race friendships, in both self- and peer reports, suggesting that interpersonal kindness was not sufficient to overcome racial homophily. In contrast, Openness and Openness to Other (O2, a new social facet of Openness) consistently predicted cross-race friendship. However, the O2 facet had the stronger and only unique effect, suggesting it is the "active ingredient." High-O2 individuals had an almost equal 1:1 ratio of same-to-different-race network members, whereas low-O2 individuals had 4:1 same-race. These results held for both college students and middle-aged adults, both friends and new acquaintances in the network, and both networks established before and at a diverse university. Finally, when moving to a more diverse environment, high-O2 individuals seemed to take advantage of the new environmental affordances, adding more different-race members to their networks. Overall, these studies advance understanding of person-environment transactions, showing how personality traits matter to the structure of people's social networks. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Using a Tootling intervention to sequentially enhance and maintain at-risk elementary students' performance of multiple social skills.

The present study was designed to extend research on supplementing social skills training (SST) with a Tootling intervention to enhance student performance of social skills in authentic social contexts. The Tootling intervention included an interdependent group contingency with randomly selected criteria, which involved the after-school class receiving rewards contingent upon students reporting classmates' performance of prosocial behaviors as they participated in a typical school activity. First, reinforcement was delivered contingent upon peer reports of classmates' giving compliments. In subsequent phases, peer reports of classmates providing encouragement and saying thank you were added to the contingency, but each day students did not know which of these behaviors was selected as the criterion for reinforcement. Results from our multiple baseline across behaviors design provided three demonstrations of a treatment effect. When peer reports of each social skill were added to the contingency, the targeted social behavior increased. Discussion focuses on supplementing SST with Tootling interventions to enhance student performance of prosocial behaviors outside the SST context. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Peer relations and friendships in early childhood: The association with peer victimization.

We examined the association between involvement in peer victimization in early childhood and different measures of peer relations to examine the role of the peer group in victimization with a special focus on the role of the aggressor, defender, and target. Children (N = 200; 45.5% girls) and teachers (N = 8; 100% women) were recruited from three primary schools in the south‐east of England. Children were aged 5−7 years (M = 75.6 months, SD = 10.39). Child and teacher reports of children's friendships were obtained. Children reported on the quality of their best friendship. Children provided peer reports on involvement in peer victimization (as aggressor, defender, and target) and social status (like‐most and like‐least). Results show that aggressive children received more like‐least nominations than other children, defenders were the most liked by peers, but targets' social status was not clearly identifiable. There were no significant differences between role in peer victimization and best friend nominations—most children said that they had a best friend. Similarly, there were no differences in reciprocated friendship between different roles. However, children who had their friendship reciprocated received more defender nominations. In line with the homophily hypothesis, aggressive children tended to have aggressive friends and have friendships characterized by conflict. Defenders were friends with other defenders. Targets tended to follow the social competence model of friendships by indicating defenders as their best friends. We discuss these findings in relation to the role that group processes may play in peer victimization in early childhood.

Supplementing Social Skills Training With Tootling to Simultaneously Enhance First-Grade Students’ Performance of Two Social Skills

While social skills training allows students to acquire social skills, often it does not enhance their performance of those skills outside the social skills training context. A withdrawal design was used to determine if a modified Tootling intervention could enhance at-risk, first-grade students’ performance of two recently trained social skills (complimenting and encouraging) as they played. Following social skills training, baseline data was collected as students played a modified Jenga game in small groups. During the intervention phase, a Tootling intervention was added and the class earned a group reward contingent upon their reports of peers engaging in these recently trained social skills. After Tootling was withdrawn, it was reinstated. Analysis of class-wide data shows immediate and large (effect size estimates) increases in compliments and encouragements each time Tootling was applied, and an immediate decrease when Tootling was withdrawn. These findings suggest that the modified Tootling intervention enhanced performance of these social skills while students played. Discussion focuses on future research designed to determine if Tootling can cause meaningful increases in social skill development by increasing students’ performance of social skills across social contexts. Impact Statement Social skills training allows students to acquire social skills, but typically does not result in students performing these behaviors in other social contexts. A peer-mediated intervention known as Tootling, which involves students being reinforced for reporting classmates’ performance of recently trained social skills (i.e., providing encouragements and compliments), caused large and immediate increases in first-grade students’ performance of these prosocial behaviors as they engaged in a small-group game.

Latent Profiles of Students at Social-Emotional Risk: Heterogeneity Among Peer-Rejected Students in Early Elementary School

A latent profile analysis was applied to explore heterogeneity in the social and classroom behaviors of 224 peer-rejected elementary school students (56% White, 68% male, Grades 1–4, M age = 8.1 years). Profile indicators included teacher ratings of social skills and problem behaviors on the Social Skills Improvement System (SSIS) and peer nominations of prosocial, aggressive, and withdrawn behavior. Four profiles emerged. Two profiles where characterized by elevated externalizing problems by peer and teacher report, one with multiple co-occurring difficulties (multiproblem, 21% of the sample) and one characterized primarily by aggression (domineering, 32% of the sample). Another profile was characterized by deficits in social skills and viewed by teachers as internalizing and disruptive (internalizing-dysregulated, 26% of the sample.) The final profile was nondistinct on teacher ratings but defined by low rates of prosocial behavior by peers (teacher preferred, 21% of the sample.) Group comparisons revealed that students in the multiproblem and internalizing-dysregulated profile classes had lower-quality relationships with teachers and more academic difficulties than students in the other two profile classes. The findings are discussed in terms of implications for identifying peer-rejected students for Tier 2 interventions and tailoring those interventions to enhance impact.

Inhibitory control, dyadic social behavior, and mental health difficulties in preschoolers.

Although inhibitory control is typically associated with positive outcomes, several theoretical frameworks suggest that too little and too much inhibitory control may be problematic. Using a longitudinal, latent variable approach, we examined whether a multi-method index of inhibitory control at Time 1 (N=105, 52girls, Mage =3.50 years, 87% White) predicted observed social behavior with an unfamiliar peer and maternal report of preschoolers' mental health difficulties at Time 2 (Mage =4.76 years). Data collection occurred between 2017 and 2019. Inhibitory control displayed a U-shaped relation with prospective outcomes, where high and low levels of inhibitory control were associated with higher levels of avoidant social behaviors and mental health difficulties. The results are discussed in the context of under- and over-regulation in understanding individual differences in children's social behavior and mental health difficulties.

Positive behavior change: Effects of an intervention package for disruptive behavior in a specialized school setting

AbstractAn ABAB design was used to analyze the effects of positive peer reporting plus a randomized dependent group contingency (PPR + DGC). This intervention package was implemented across three classrooms in an alternative school setting for students diagnosed with emotional and behavioral disorders. The DGC consisted of the teacher randomly choosing a student to watch throughout the 45‐min class period to determine if that student was following classroom rules. If so, the entire class earned a randomly selected reward at the end of class period. The intervention package also included two opportunities, one at the start and one at the end of class, for students to engage in positive reporting sessions. Results indicated an increase in engagement and a decrease in off‐task and disruptive behavior while the intervention was implemented. The effects on positive and negative peer statements were ultimately minimal throughout all classrooms and phases. Social validity data indicated that teachers found the intervention package to be easy to include in their daily routine and stated that they would continue using this intervention package in the future. Discussion focuses on implications for practice and the need for additional research examining the effects of positive peer reports on student behavior.

Associations Between Self, Peer, and Teacher Reports of Victimization and Social Skills in School in Children With Language Disorders.

Previous studies have shown that teachers and parents of children with language disorders report them to have higher victimization scores, a heightened risk of low-quality friendships and social difficulties, and may be more vulnerable to peer rejection than control peers. However, there are few studies of bullying in children with developmental language disorder (DLD) and reading difficulties (RD), and none has considered the mutual relationships between teacher reports, the perceptions of classmates, and children’s self-reports. We analyzed the experiences of bullying and peer relationships in primary school students with DLD and RD as compared to their age-matched peers using teacher reports, peer reports, and self-reports on victimization. Additionally, we explored how these three perspectives are associated. Results indicated lower levels of peer-rated prosocial skills in DLD and RD students compared to their peers, as well as higher levels of victimization as assessed by peers for students with DLD. In the same line, the teachers’ ratings showed that students with DLD presented poorer social skills, less adaptability, and more withdrawal in social interaction. Contrastingly, self-reports informed of similar rates of interpersonal relationships, social stress, and peer victimization between the three groups. Consequently, we found significant correlations between measures of peer reports and teacher reports that contrasted with the lack of correlations between self and other agents’ reports. These findings stress the importance of using self-reports, peer reports, and teacher reports at the same time to detect bullying situations that might go unnoticed.

A dangerous triangularization of conflicting values in academic publishing: ORCID, fake authors, and risks with the lack of criminalization of the creators of fake elements

The mainstream publishing establishment is under attack from multiple known and unknown forces. This is neither hyperbole nor fantasy. Many academics may believe that the main threat lies with “predatory” journals or publishers, but this is not necessarily the case because such entities are not always easy to distinguish clearly from veritable scholarly journals or publishers. Moreover, there is a gray zone that may involve both predatory and exploitative qualities. Current submission systems are not fail-safe because they allow unscholarly or fraudulent elements to register and abuse them, for example for submitting fake research or falsified peer reports, while author identification tools like ORCID are imperfect and provide a platform for similar-minded individuals to “validate” themselves. This toxic mix of tools aimed at fortifying integrity, while allowing fake authors to breed, currently without many, or any, ethical or legal repercussions will rapidly erode the entire publishing landscape if serious legal action is not taken. The creation of fake papers by fake authors will eventually trickle down into valid literature, by virtue of the fact that cited literature cannot be thoroughly vetted, even in peer review. The integrity of valid scholarly venues is thus at high risk unless suitable, strict and ethically and legally enforceable preventative measures are implemented.

Brief Research Report: Agreement Between Teacher and Student Reports on Students’ Acceptance and Rejection

Student-reported peer nominations are typically used to obtain information on the social status (i.e., acceptance and rejection) of students in their classrooms. However, under certain circumstances this assessment method cannot be used, for example for logistical reasons or with students with intellectual disabilities (ID) who are not always able to fill out peer nominations. In such instances, teacher reports on students’ expected nominations may serve as a proxy. As part of a larger study on students with ID, we evaluated the agreement between teachers’ and students’ peer reports regarding individual students’ acceptance and rejection using unlimited nomination procedures in Grades 4–6 mainstream classrooms. As many students with ID cannot fill out peer nominations, this evaluation study used a sample of typically developing students without ID. Teachers (n = 27, Mage = 34.24 years, SD = 10.85; 85.2% female) nominated all peers from the classroom who they believed individual students would report as “liked” and “not liked”. For direct comparison, students (n = 441, Mage = 11.36 years, SD = 0.89; 46.8% female) themselves were also asked to report their “liked” and “not liked” nominations. Students received both more “liked” and more “not liked” nominations from their peers than from their teachers. Students’ social status as calculated from teacher reports showed only partial agreement with social status as calculated from student reports, suggesting that in mainstream classrooms student reports cannot be easily replaced by teacher reports. Perspectives on the application of teacher-reported peer nominations in special needs settings are discussed.

Sodium 5-sulfosalicylate-assisted hydrothermal synthesis of a self-supported Co3S4−Ni3S2@nickel foam electrode for all-solid-state asymmetric supercapacitors

Rational design and construction of self-supporting electrodes with high energy exporting densities promise a future of wearable and portable devices. Herein, we demonstrate that, for the first time, a one-pot hydrothermal method for the in-site growth of Co3S4 −Ni3S2 on nickel foam (NF) with the assistance of a chelating agent sodium 5-sulfosalicylate (SSS) (labeled as CS4−Ni3S2@F-SSS) for high-performance supercapacitors. Served directly as a self-supporting supercapacitor electrode, CS4−Ni3S2@F-SSS owns a specific capacitance of up to 2825.5 mF cm−2 at a corresponding 2 mA cm−2 current density and a commendable rate capability of 82% conducted within a current density domain of 2 − 40 mA cm−2 accompanied by good cyclability. More strikingly, the assembled tow-electrode (CS4−Ni3S2@F-SSS vs. active carbon (AC)@NF) all-solid-state asymmetric supercapacitor (ASC) is capable of reaching an energy density of 40.9 Wh kg−1 at a high power density of 1566.4 W kg−1 with excellent durability (92.8% retention after 2000 charge−discharge cycles at 8 mA cm−2), which are amongst the top of analogous ASCs in peer reports. Additionally, the possible factors that are accountable for the extraordinary supercapacitive performance of CS4−Ni3S2@F-SSS are discussed and analyzed.

Association Between Dynamic Parasympathetic Reactivity to Frustration and Children's Social Success with Peers in Kindergarten.

The inability to regulate affective arousal in the context of frustration may jeopardize children's ability to form successful friendships, especially as new peer groups are formed during the transition to kindergarten. While substantial research has utilized teacher reports of children's socioemotional behavior, there is less empirical evidence on the peer perspective. The present study utilized data from n = 235 kindergarteners (54% high in disruptive behavior) recruited for a multicomponent intervention. We examined whether physiological reactivity to frustration was associated with children's social success. Peer nominations of liking or disliking to play with the child were used to compute a social preference score, where negative values reflect greater rejection than acceptance. Multilevel growth modeling was employed to capture changes in respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) reactivity across a manipulated inhibitory control task administered in 3 blocks, with differing algorithms embedded to induce affect: points were earned in the 1stand 3rdblocks (reward) and lost during the 2ndblock (frustration). Groups did not differ in RSA reactivity during the 1stblock, but children who experience greater peer rejection showed significant decreases in RSA (increases in arousal) across frustration. This increased arousal persisted across the 3rdblock despite the reinstatement of reward, indicating a greater degree of reactivity and a lack of recovery relative to peer-accepted children. Teacher screenings of disruptive behavior only partially aligned with peer ratings of acceptance, highlighting the benefits of leveraging peer report to capture regulatory functioning and identify children for intervention recruitment.

Proposing Knowledge Sharing as a Mediator Between Positive Gossip and Success of IT Projects

Using evolutionary perspective of gossip and knowledge-based view, the study proposes knowledge sharing behaviour as the underlying mechanism that helps in establishing the relationship between positive workplace gossip and success of IT projects. The study used multi-source and multi-layered data collection technique; data were collected from 304 employees working in information technology (IT) projects within Pakistan. The study used peer reports for knowledge sharing behaviour, while gossip and project success were self-reported. Results of the study show that positive workplace gossip has a positive relation with project success. The study also found support of partial mediation of knowledge sharing behaviour between positive workplace gossip and project success. These results have crucial implications for policy makers and project managers of IT projects. The findings reveal the importance of informal social networks of project team members towards project success. Managers shall device such mechanisms that allow for propagation of informal networks and knowledge sharing. Keywords Critical Success Factors, Information Technology Projects, Knowledge Sharing Behaviour, Positive Workplace Gossip, Project Success.

Highly electrocatalytic performance of bimetallic Co–Fe sulfide nanoparticles encapsulated in N-doped carbon nanotubes on reduced graphene oxide for oxygen evolution

We rationally design and construct a heterostructured hybrid with reduced graphene oxide served as a platform to in-situ grow N-doped bamboo-like carbon nanotubes encapsulating bimetallic Co–Fe sulfide nanoparticles through a two-stage pyrolysis succeeded by an evaporating sulfurization process (denoted as CoxFe1-xS2@N-CNTs/rGO). By tuning the Co/Fe ratio, the optimal Co0.6Fe0.4S2@N-CNTs/rGO exhibits a remarkable oxygen evolution reaction (OER) performance in 1.0 M KOH, in which the overpotential at 10 mA cm−2 and Tafel slope are recorded as 248 mV (vs. RHE) and 58.3 mV dec−1, respectively, outmaneuvring commercial RuO2 and most Co/Fe sulfide-based catalysts in recent peer reports. Comprehensive experiment results unravel that the outstanding OER electrocatalytic performance owes to the reinforced synergy between CoS2 and FeS2, the heterostructures constituted by partial CoS2 and FeS2, the confining effect of N-CNTs/rGO for CoS2 and FeS2 nanoparticles, and the high conductivity and large surface of N-CNTs/rGO.

Analysis of Self- and 360-Evaluation Scores of the Professionalism Intelligence Model Within an Academic Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Department.

PurposeTo analyze self and 360-evaluation scores of the professionalism intelligence model domains within an academic Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Department.MethodsA leadership course was introduced within the Department of Head and Neck Surgery & Communication Sciences at Duke University Medical Center. A 360 evaluation assessing domains of the professional intelligence model was recorded for all participants. Participant demographics included gender (male vs female), generation group (generation Y vs older generations) and physician status of participants (physician vs non-physician). Differences in mean self-scores were modeled using linear regression. When analyzing the evaluator scores, gaps were defined as self-score minus evaluator-score for each member of a participant’s evaluator groupings (supervisor, peer, and direct report). Two types of linear mixed models were fit with a random intercept to account for the correlated gaps in the same participant.ResultsScores of 50 participants and 394 evaluators were analyzed. The average age was 40.6 (standard deviation 9.3) years, and 50% (N=25) of participants were females. Physicians accounted for 36% (N=18) of the cohort, and 61% (N=11) of physicians were residents. Physicians scored themselves lower than non-physicians when assessing leadership intelligence, interpersonal relations, empathy, and focused thinking. On average, participants under-rated themselves compared to their evaluators with direct reports giving higher scores than managers and peers. When compared with generation Y, older generations tended to rate themselves lower than their peers and managers in cognitive intelligence. No significant association was observed between gender and any scores.ConclusionParticipants rate themselves lower on average than their evaluators. This work is important in understanding how perceived leadership qualities are assessed and developed within an academic surgical department. Finally, the results presented could serve as a model to address the gap between self- and other-perceptions of defined leadership virtues in future leadership development activities.

Distributing Attorney Fees in Multidistrict Litigation

AbstractAs consolidated multidistrict litigation has come to dominate the federal civil docket, the problem of how to divide attorney fees among participating firms has become the source of frequent and protracted litigation. For example, in the National Football League (NFL) Concussion Litigation, the judge awarded the plaintiff attorneys over $100 million in fees, but the division of those fees among the twenty-six firms involved sparked two additional years of litigation. We explore solutions to this fee division problem, drawing insights from the economics, game theory, and industrial organization literatures. Ultimately, we propose a novel division method based on peer reports. Participating firms assess the relative contribution of other firms to the litigation, and then optimization or Bayesian techniques arrive at a consensus or compromise fee allocation. Our methods are intuitively easy to understand, enable broad participation, and are resistant to collusion or other strategic behavior, making them likely to be accepted by the firms involved. We thus provide courts with an important mediation tool or decision rule for these fee division disputes.

高等学校における学校規模ポジティブ行動支援(SWPBS)第1層支援の実践――Good Behavior Ticket (GBT)とPositive Peer Reporting (PPR)の付加効果――

高等学校における学校規模ポジティブ行動支援(SWPBS)第1層支援の実践――Good Behavior Ticket (GBT)とPositive Peer Reporting (PPR)の付加効果――

Hospital Climate and Peer Report Intention on Adverse Medical Events: Role of Attribution and Rewards.

Adverse medical events (AMEs) often occur in the healthcare workplace, and studies have shown that a positive atmosphere can reduce their incidence by increasing peer report intention. However, few studies have investigated the effect and action mechanism therein. We aimed to extend upon these studies by probing into the relationship between hospital climate and peer report intention, along with the mediating effect of attribution tendency and moderating effects of rewards. For this purpose, a cross-sectional survey was administered in a hospital among health professionals. We collected 503 valid questionnaires from health professionals in China and verified the hypothesis after sorting the questionnaires. The results of empirical analysis show that a positive hospital climate significantly induces individual internal attribution tendency, which in turn exerts a positive effect on peer report intention. Contract reward also helps to increase peer report intention, especially for health professionals with an internal attribution tendency. The findings contribute to the literature regarding AME management in hospitals by providing empirical evidence of the necessity for hospital climate and contract reward, and by providing insights to improve their integrated application.

How Can Bullying Victimisation Lead to Lower Academic Achievement? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Mediating Role of Cognitive-Motivational Factors.

Bullying involvement may have an adverse effect on children’s educational outcomes, particularly academic achievement. However, the underlying mechanisms and factors behind this association are not well-understood. Previous meta-analyses have not investigated mediation factors between bullying and academic achievement. This meta-analysis examines the mediation effect of cognitive-motivational factors on the relationship between peer victimization and academic achievement. A systematic search was performed using specific search terms and search engines to identify relevant studies that were selected according to specific criteria resulting in 11 studies encompassing a sample total of 257,247 children (10 years and younger) and adolescents (11 years and older) (48–59% female). Some studies were longitudinal and some cross sectional and the assessment for each factor was performed by various methods (self, peer, teacher, school and mixed reports). Children involved in bullying behaviour were less likely to be academically engaged (k = 4) (OR = 0.571, 95% CI [0.43, 0.77], p = 0.000), to be less motivated (k = 7) (OR = 0.82, 95% CI [0.69, 0.97], p = 0.021), to have lower self-esteem (k = 1) (OR = 0.12, 95% CI [0.07, 0.20], p = 0.000) and lower academic achievement (k = 14) (OR = 0.62, 95% CI [0.49, 0.79], p = 0.000). Bullying involvement was also significantly related to overall cognitive-motivational factors (k = 17, OR = 0.67, 95% CI [0.59, 0.76], p = 0.000). Cognitive-motivational factors, taken together, mediated the association between bullying victimisation and academic achievement (k = 8, OR = 0.74, 95% CI (0.72, 0.77), p = 0.000). Bullying victimisation was negatively related to cognitive-motivational factors, which, in turn, was associated with poorer academic achievement. These findings were moderated by the design of the studies, assessment methods for the bullying reports, mediators and outcomes, country, age of children in the sample and/or types of bullying. The findings are of relevance for practitioners, parents, and schools, and can be used to guide bullying interventions. Interventions should focus on improving internal and external motivational factors including components of positive reinforcement, encouragement, and programs for enhancing academic engagement and achievement amongst children and adolescents.

Peer-reported bullying, rejection and hallucinatory experiences in childhood.

ObjectivePsychotic experiences, such as hallucinations, occur commonly in children and have been related to bullying victimization. However, whether bullying perpetration, peer rejection, or peer acceptance are related to hallucinatory experiences has remained under‐examined. We used a novel peer nomination method to examine whether (i) bullying perpetration and (ii) social positions within peer networks were associated with future hallucinatory experiences.MethodsThis prospective study was embedded in the population‐based Generation R Study. Bullying perpetration, peer rejection, and peer acceptance were assessed using peer nominations at age 7 years (N = 925). Using a social network analysis, we estimated social positions within peer rejection and acceptance networks. Bullying victimization was assessed using self‐reports. Self‐reported hallucinatory experiences were assessed at age 10 years. Analyses were adjusted for sociodemographic covariates.ResultsHigher levels of bullying perpetration were prospectively associated with an increased burden of hallucinatory experiences (OR = 1.22, 95% CI 1.05–1.43, p = 0.011). Bullies had a 50% higher, and bully‐victims had a 89% higher odds, of endorsing hallucinatory experiences three years later than children who were not involved in bullying (ORbully = 1.50, 95% CI 1.01–2.24, p = 0.045; ORbully‐victim = 1.89, 95% CI 1.15–3.10, p = 0.012). Unfavorable positions within peer rejection networks, but not peer acceptance networks, were associated with an increased risk for hallucinatory experiences (ORpeer rejection = 1.24, 95% CI 1.07–1.44, p FDR‐corrected = 0.024).ConclusionUsing peer reports, we observed that bullies and socially rejected children have a higher likelihood to report hallucinatory experiences in pre‐adolescence. Children who are both a bully and a victim of bullying (ie, bully‐victims) may be particularly vulnerable for psychotic experiences.