Peer Reports Research Articles

Preschool Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity and Oppositional Defiant Problems as Antecedents of School Bullying

To examine whether early manifestations of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) increase children's later risk of bullying or victimization. Using a population-based, prospective cohort, our multi-informant approach comprised reports of parents, teachers, and peers. ADHD and ODD behavioral problems at ages 1.5, 3, and 5 years were determined from parental reports on the Child Behavior Checklist. Later bullying behavior at school was reported by teachers using a questionnaire (n= 3,192, mean age 6.6 years), and by peer/self-reports using peer nominations (n= 1,098, mean age 7.6 years). We examined the following: whether problem behavior scores at age 1.5, 3, or 5 years predicted a risk of bullying involvement; and whether high or increasing behavioral problems throughout ages 1.5 to 5 years were associated with bullying involvement at school. Analyses were adjusted for a range of child and maternal covariates. Behavioral problems at a young age each predicted later bullying involvement at school. For example, higher ADHD problem scores at age 3 years were associated with the risks of becoming a bully or a bully-victim (ORBULLY= 1.20, 95% CI= 1.07-1.35 [teacher report], ORBULLY-VICTIM= 1.28, 95% CI= 1.14-1.43 [teacher report], and ORBULLY-VICTIM= 1.35, 95% CI=1.03-1.78 [peer/self-report]). Children whose behavioral problem scores were high or increased over time consistently had elevated risks of becoming a bully or a bully-victim. Behavioral problems at a young age may predispose children to bullying involvement in early elementary school.

Social development of children born very preterm: a systematic review.

To review systematically studies examining the development of social competence in children born very preterm (VPT) (gestation <33 wks) and identify neonatal and family predictors. Peer-reviewed original articles were extracted from PubMed and PsycINFO following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Selection criteria included children born VPT and comparison children born at term, sample born after 1990, and children assessed between 0 and 17 years on at least one measure of social competence spanning social adjustment, performance, and/or social skills. Twenty-three studies were included. Seven focused on social competence and another 16 examined social competence within a range of outcomes. Study quality was low. Limitations included reliance on single informant data, cross-sectional measurement, use of brief screening tools, absence of child or peer report, and no conceptual model. In terms of social adjustment, 16 out of 21 studies found children born VPT had more peer problems and social withdrawal. Findings of social performance were mixed, with some studies suggesting differences in prosocial behavior (4/14) and others not. Social skills were assessed in four studies and showed children born VPT had poorer skills than children born at term. Predictors of social competence included gestational age, neonatal brain abnormalities, and family socio-economic status. Children born VPT have poorer social competence. These difficulties emerge early and persist throughout childhood.

Organizational Citizenship Behavior (OCB) and Rewards

Organizational Citizenship Behavior (OCB) has attracted the attention of academicians and practitioners due to its proven significance towards organizational effectiveness. The current study aims to estimate empirically the degree of relationship between OCB and Organizational Rewards given to employees. The study will answer the question that “Does the display of OCB have any impact on the rewards given to employees by the organization?” Five most widely acknowledged dimensions of OCB - Altruism, Courtesy, Sportsmanship, Conscientiousness, and Civic Virtue -have been considered for analysis purposes. OCB is measured through self-evaluation as well as peer evaluations to avoid any social desirability effect and common method variance errors. The organizational rewards taken in the study are Salary Increment, Promotion and Performance Appraisal Grade. The current study includes all of these together for analyzing this relationship with rigor. This is the first ever study of OCB which incorporates all five major dimensions of OCB (measured through self-reporting as well as through peer reports) and three well acknowledged types of rewards together in a single study. The study thus draws various practical implications for organizational managers on basis of the empirical findings from banking sector of Pakistan.

Health surveillance through social networks

We propose a network-based method to monitor health behaviors and point out the general conditions for it to work effectively. The method helps to identify effective informants for monitoring future health behaviors and to triangulate self-reports of sensitive health behaviors. We demonstrate the method by studying the smoking behaviors of over 4000 middle school students in China. Using students’ observations of their schoolmates smoking in the past 30 days, we construct smoking detection networks and examine the patterns of smoking detection. We find that smokers, optimistic students, and popular students make better informants than their counterparts. We also find that using three to four (or the 3rd quartile of) positive peer reports can uncover a good number of under-reported smokers while not producing excessive false positives.

Personality and Friendship Satisfaction in Daily Life: Do Everyday Social Interactions Account for Individual Differences in Friendship Satisfaction?

Who are the people who maintain satisfying friendships? And, what are the behaviours that might explain why those people achieve high friendship satisfaction? We examined the associations between personality (self–reports and peer–reports) and friendship satisfaction (self–reports) among 434 students. We also examined whether role personality (how people act with their friends) and quantity and quality of social interactions using ecological momentary assessment mediate the associations between personality and friendship satisfaction. Extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness and (low) neuroticism were associated with higher levels of friendship satisfaction. These associations could not be accounted for by individual differences in role personality. In addition, our results suggest that quantity of time spent with friends and quality of friend interactions (depth of conversation, self–disclosure and lack of emotion suppression), although associated with friendship satisfaction, do not account for the associations between trait personality and friendship satisfaction. Future research should examine other potential interpersonal processes that explain why some people are more satisfied with their friendships than others and the consequences of friendship satisfaction (e.g. for well–being). Copyright © 2015 European Association of Personality Psychology

Enhancing cognitive and social-emotional development through a simple-to-administer mindfulness-based school program for elementary school children: a randomized controlled trial.

The authors hypothesized that a social and emotional learning (SEL) program involving mindfulness and caring for others, designed for elementary school students, would enhance cognitive control, reduce stress, promote well-being and prosociality, and produce positive school outcomes. To test this hypothesis, 4 classes of combined 4th and 5th graders (N = 99) were randomly assigned to receive the SEL with mindfulness program versus a regular social responsibility program. Measures assessed executive functions (EFs), stress physiology via salivary cortisol, well-being (self-reports), prosociality and peer acceptance (peer reports), and math grades. Relative to children in the social responsibility program, children who received the SEL program with mindfulness (a) improved more in their cognitive control and stress physiology; (b) reported greater empathy, perspective-taking, emotional control, optimism, school self-concept, and mindfulness, (c) showed greater decreases in self-reported symptoms of depression and peer-rated aggression, (d) were rated by peers as more prosocial, and (e) increased in peer acceptance (or sociometric popularity). The results of this investigation suggest the promise of this SEL intervention and address a lacuna in the scientific literature-identifying strategies not only to ameliorate children's problems but also to cultivate their well-being and thriving. Directions for future research are discussed.

Assessment and detection of peer-bullying through analysis of the group context.

The assessment of bullying requires an analysis both of the main profiles involved in this phenomenon and of the social context in which it occurs. By considering both aspects, this study develops a scale that, in addition to individual information, incorporates a representation of the group structure of the classroom. A large sample composed of 11,561 students (mean age = 11.12 years, girls = 49.2%) from 108 schools completed the Sociescuela Scale by peer reports. An analysis of the internal structure and reliability of the scale was performed, as well as of the students' social networks. Factor analysis yielded five factors: Victimization, Acceptance, Prosociality, Withdrawal, and Aggressiveness. Boys showed more victimization and aggressiveness than girls. The results obtained enable us to: (a) evaluate a series of individual profiles associated with involvement in bullying and their sociometric status, and (b) position them on a social map of each classroom. The data suggested that the scale is reliable and valid for use in the detection of bullying and its applied nature facilitates the design of school interventions.

Assessment and Implications of Coping Styles in Response to a Social Stressor Among Early Adolescents in China

The aims of the present study were to (a) examine the factor structure of the Self-Report Coping Scale in a sample of Chinese early adolescents and (b) explore associations between coping and socioemotional functioning in this sample. Participants were N= 569 elementary school students (307 boys) in Grades 4 to 6. Participants completed a measure of coping in response to an argument with a friend. Students’ functioning across multiple domains was assessed using self, peer, and teacher reports. Results suggested a five-factor model of coping in Chinese early adolescents (problem solving, seeking social support, internalizing, externalizing, distancing). In support of predictions, internalizing and distancing coping were positively related to adjustment indices, whereas seeking social support and problem-solving coping were negatively related to outcomes. Results are discussed in terms of the important role of coping for adolescents’ adjustment across multiple domains and in relation to recent shifts in traditional Chinese cultural values.

Voluntary peer review as innovative tool for quality improvement in the intensive care unit--a retrospective descriptive cohort study in German intensive care units.

Introduction: Quality improvement and safety in intensive care are rapidly evolving topics. However, there is no gold standard for assessing quality improvement in intensive care medicine yet. In 2007 a pilot project in German intensive care units (ICUs) started using voluntary peer reviews as an innovative tool for quality assessment and improvement. We describe the method of voluntary peer review and assessed its feasibility by evaluating anonymized peer review reports and analysed the thematic clusters highlighted in these reports.Methods: Retrospective data analysis from 22 anonymous reports of peer reviews. All ICUs – representing over 300 patient beds – had undergone voluntary peer review. Data were retrieved from reports of peers of the review teams and representatives of visited ICUs. Data were analysed with regard to number of topics addressed and results of assessment questionnaires. Reports of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT reports) of these ICUs are presented. Results: External assessment of structure, process and outcome indicators revealed high percentages of adherence to predefined quality goals. In the SWOT reports 11 main thematic clusters were identified representative for common ICUs. 58.1% of mentioned topics covered personnel issues, team and communication issues as well as organisation and treatment standards. The most mentioned weaknesses were observed in the issues documentation/reporting, hygiene and ethics. We identified several unique patterns regarding quality in the ICU of which long-term personnel problems und lack of good reporting methods were most interestingConclusion: Voluntary peer review could be established as a feasible and valuable tool for quality improvement. Peer reports addressed common areas of interest in intensive care medicine in more detail compared to other methods like measurement of quality indicators.

The Relationship Between Peer Victimization and Children's Humor Styles: It's No Laughing Matter!

AbstractThis study assessed the concurrent and prospective (fall to spring) associations between peer victimization and four humor styles, two of which are adaptive (affiliative and self‐enhancing) and two maladaptive (aggressive and self‐defeating). Participants were 1234 adolescents (52 percent female) aged 11–13 years, drawn from six secondary schools inEngland. Self‐reports and peer reports of peer victimization were collected, as were self‐reports of humor styles. In cross‐sectional analyses, peer victimization was associated with all four humor styles, most strongly with self‐defeating and affiliative humor. Across the school year, peer victimization was associated with an increase in self‐defeating humor and a decrease in affiliative humor (and vice‐versa). These results have implications for models of humor development and how we understand the continuity of peer victimization.

Impact of early intervention on psychopathology, crime, and well-being at age 25.

This randomized controlled trial tested the efficacy of early intervention to prevent adult psychopathology and improve well-being in early-starting conduct-problem children. Kindergarteners (N=9,594) in three cohorts (1991-1993) at 55 schools in four communities were screened for conduct problems, yielding 979 early starters. A total of 891 (91%) consented (51% African American, 47% European American; 69% boys). Children were randomly assigned by school cluster to a 10-year intervention or control. The intervention goal was to develop social competencies in children that would carry them throughout life, through social skills training, parent behavior-management training with home visiting, peer coaching, reading tutoring, and classroom social-emotional curricula. Manualization and supervision ensured program fidelity. Ninety-eight percent participated during grade 1, and 80% continued through grade 10. At age 25, arrest records were reviewed (N=817, 92%), and condition-blinded adults psychiatrically interviewed participants (N=702; 81% of living participants) and a peer (N=535) knowledgeable about the participant. Intent-to-treat logistic regression analyses indicated that 69% of participants in the control arm displayed at least one externalizing, internalizing, or substance abuse psychiatric problem (based on self- or peer interview) at age 25, in contrast with 59% of those assigned to intervention (odds ratio=0.59, CI=0.43-0.81; number needed to treat=8). This pattern also held for self-interviews, peer interviews, scores using an "and" rule for self- and peer reports, and separate tests for externalizing problems, internalizing problems, and substance abuse problems, as well as for each of three cohorts, four sites, male participants, female participants, African Americans, European Americans, moderate-risk, and high-risk subgroups. Intervention participants also received lower severity-weighted violent (standardized estimate=-0.37) and drug (standardized estimate=-0.43) crime conviction scores, lower risky sexual behavior scores (standardized estimate=-0.24), and higher well-being scores (standardized estimate=0.19). This study provides evidence for the efficacy of early intervention in preventing adult psychopathology among high-risk early-starting conduct-problem children.

Childhood predictors and age 48 outcomes of self-reports and official records of offending.

The key question is: are self-reports and official records equally valid indicators of criminal offending? We examine the correspondence between self-reports and official records of offending, the similarity of childhood and adolescent individual and contextual predictors of both measures of offending, and the similarity of age 48 correlates of both measures of offending. Men (N=436) from the Columbia County Longitudinal Study, a sample of all 3rd graders in Columbia County, New York, in 1959-60, participated. The youth, their peers and their parents were interviewed when the youth were age 8; the youth were later interviewed at ages 19, 30 and 48. We found moderate to high correspondence between self-reports of having been in trouble with the law and official arrest records. Lifetime self-reports and official records of offending were generally predicted by the same childhood and adolescent variables, and were correlated with many of the same adult outcome measures. By age 48, life-course non-offenders defined by either self-reports or official records had better outcomes than offenders. The results validate the use of adolescent and adult self-reports of offending, and the early identification of individuals at risk for adult criminal behaviour through childhood parent and peer reports and adolescent self and peer reports.

Positive Peer Reporting in the Classroom: a Review of Intervention Procedures.

Positive peer reporting (PPR) is a classroom-based intervention to improve social interactions between students using rewards and positive social attention. Along with a variant of the procedure referred to as "Tootling," PPR has demonstrated overwhelmingly positive results since its development. However, a unified, standard protocol for successful implementation of PPR interventions has not yet been established. A review of 24 studies, including 48 separately described cases of PPR in classroom settings, provided information concerning adaptations for students in special education, alternative school, and mainstream classrooms. Student participants ranged from preschool (age 4) to eighth grade (age 16). This paper summarizes the common procedural components found across cases described in the studies. A comparison of PPR-based interventions reported in the literature by various research teams also revealed differences in the procedures for targeting individuals or groups, providing training and support, allocating rewards, proceeding with daily peer report sessions, and terminating the intervention. Variations in specific procedural elements that may relate to PPR's effectiveness are discussed. The authors also provide suggestions to guide and support the advancement of standardized methods of PPR for future research and clinical application.

Teacher and Peer Reports of Overweight and Bullying Among Young Primary School Children

Overweight is a potential risk factor for peer victimization in late childhood and adolescence. The current study investigated the association between BMI in early primary school and different bullying involvement roles (uninvolved, bully, victim, and bully-victim) as reported by teachers and children themselves. In a population-based study in the Netherlands, measured BMI and teacher-reported bullying behavior were available for 4364 children (mean age = 6.2 years). In a subsample of 1327 children, a peer nomination method was used to obtain child reports of bullying. In both teacher- and child-reported data, a higher BMI was associated with more victimization and more bullying perpetration. For instance, a 1-point increase in BMI was associated with a 0.05 increase on the standardized teacher-reported victimization score (95% confidence interval, 0.03 to 0.07; P < .001). Combining the victimization and bullying scores into different types of bullying involvement showed that children with obesity, but not children with overweight, had a significantly higher risk to be a bully-victim (odds ratio = 2.25; 95% confidence interval, 1.62 to 3.14) than normal-weight peers. At school entry, a high BMI is a risk factor associated with victimization and bullying perpetration, with obese children particularly likely to be victims and aggressors. Results were consistent for teacher and child reports of bullying, supporting the validity of our findings. Possibly, obesity triggers peer problems, but the association may also reflect a common underlying cause that makes obese children vulnerable to bullying involvement.

Social self-perception among pediatric brain tumor survivors compared with peers.

To assess self-perceptions of social behavior among children treated for a brain tumor and comparison children. To investigate group differences in the accuracy of children's self-perceptions as measured by discrepancies between self and peer reports of social behavior and to understand if these phenomena differ by gender. Self and peer reports of social behavior were obtained in the classrooms of 116 children who were treated for an intracranial tumor. Social behaviors were assessed using the Revised Class Play, which generates indices for 5 behavioral subscales: Leadership-popularity, Prosocial, Aggressive-disruptive, Sensitive-isolated, and Victimization. A child matched for gender, race, and age was selected from each survivor's classroom to serve as a comparison. Abbreviated IQ scores were obtained in participants' homes. Relative to comparison children, those who had undergone treatment for a brain tumor overestimated their level of Leadership-popularity and underestimated levels of Sensitive-isolated behaviors and Victimization by peers. Female survivors were more likely than male survivors to underestimate Sensitive-isolated behaviors and Victimization. Following treatment for a brain tumor, children (particularly girls) may be more likely than healthy children to underestimate peer relationship difficulties. These discrepancies should be considered when obtaining self-report from survivors and developing interventions to improve social functioning.

Teacher and Peer Reports of Overweight and Bullying Among Young Primary School Children

Teacher and Peer Reports of Overweight and Bullying Among Young Primary School Children

Truth and fiction in the association between Openness and education: The role of biased responding

Previous research has identified Openness to Experience as a significant predictor of differences in educational attainment, with higher levels of Openness reported among more educated individuals. Using data from a large community sample, we argue that this association contains fiction as well as truth. We found that educational attainment was correlated not only with Openness as indicated by self- and peer report, but also with the tendency to exaggerate one's level of Openness. The association between education and overclaiming of Openness was mediated by views of the desirability of Openness: Openness was seen as a more desirable trait by more educated individuals, and those who viewed Openness as more desirable were more likely to overstate their levels of the trait in self-reports. These results highlight the importance of non-self-report data in personality research and the role of individual views of trait desirability for biasing self-reports.

Turning a Blind Eye: A Study of Peer Reporting in a Business School Setting

This article examines student peer reporting by extending the findings from the business ethics and higher education literature. In the conceptual model we propose that reflective moral attentiveness, subjective knowledge of the code of ethics, and academic dishonesty beliefs antecede ethical judgment of peer reporting, which impacts intentions to report peers’ unethical behavior. The relationships are tested using structural equation modeling. The findings indicate that moral attentiveness significantly influences ethical judgment, which in turn affects intention. The relationship between beliefs about academic dishonesty and ethical judgment is partially supported. Based on these results, suggestions for higher education institutions are provided.

Bullying in preschool: The associations between participant roles, social competence, and social preference.

The different roles of bullying participation (bully, follower, victim, defender of the victim, and outsider) have not been investigated in preschool children. The aims of this study were to use a peer-report measure to assess these roles and to investigate their associations with social competence among pre-schoolers. We also explored whether status among peers, indicated by being socially preferred, mediates the relationship between social competence and bullying roles. Three hundred twenty 3- to 6-year-old children participated in the study. Bullying roles and social preference were assessed by means of peer reports, whereas social competence was investigated with a Q-Sort methodology, based on observations in classrooms. Bullying was also assessed by means of teacher reports. The results showed quite a clear distinction among roles and a correspondence between peer and teacher assessments, except for the role of outsider. The role of defender was positively associated with social competence, whereas the other roles were negatively associated. In a subsample, social preference statistically predicted the role of bully and mediated between social competence and bullying. The findings are discussed in terms of the importance of assessing bullying and its correlates at a very young age, although roles may further develop when children grow up.

Teacher, parent, and peer reports of early aggression as screening measures for long-term maladaptive outcomes: Who provides the most useful information?

This study compared the ability of teacher, parent, and peer reports of aggressive behavior in early childhood to accurately classify cases of maladaptive outcomes in late adolescence and early adulthood. Weighted kappa analyses determined optimal cut points and relative classification accuracy among teacher, parent, and peer reports of aggression assessed for 691 students (54% male; 84% African American and 13% White) in the fall of first grade. Outcomes included antisocial personality, substance use, incarceration history, risky sexual behavior, and failure to graduate from high school on time. Peer reports were the most accurate classifier of all outcomes in the full sample. For most outcomes, the addition of teacher or parent reports did not improve overall classification accuracy once peer reports were accounted for. Additional gender-specific and adjusted kappa analyses supported the superior classification utility of the peer report measure. The results suggest that peer reports provided the most useful classification information of the 3 aggression measures. Implications for targeted intervention efforts in which screening measures are used to identify at-risk children are discussed.