Peer Preference Research Articles

Positively Biased Self-Perceptions in Children with ADHD: Unique Predictor of Future Maladjustment.

This study assessed children's overestimations of self-competence (positively biased self-perceptions or positive bias [PB]) relative to parent/teacher ratings of children's competence in predicting children's adjustment in a new setting. Eighty-five children (13 boys and 11 girls with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder [ADHD]; 30 boys and 31 girls who were typically developing [TD]), ages 6.8 to 9.8 years (M = 8.13; SD = 0.82), attended a 2-week summer day camp grouped into same-age, same-sex classrooms with previously unacquainted peers and counselors. Prior to camp, PB was assessed by creating standardized discrepancy scores between children's self-ratings relative to parent or teacher ratings of the children's social and behavioral competence. The relative ability of these discrepancy scores to predict peer preference and oppositionality at camp in relation to parent or teacher ratings alone was evaluated. For children with ADHD, both discrepancy scores and informant ratings of competence were uniquely predictive of peer preference and oppositionality assessed during camp. For TD children, only informant ratings of competence were predictive of outcomes at camp. These results suggest that PB may be a unique predictor of maladjustment within a novel environment for children with ADHD, but not TD children.

Peer Relations and Social Adjustment of Latino and Chinese Children in Head Start Classrooms

ABSTRACTResearch Findings: The present study investigated the role of ethnic similarity in the peer preferences and play quality of Latino and Chinese children enrolled in Head Start classrooms and the relationship between peer acceptance and social adjustment in these groups. Participants were 244 children (M = 4.6 years old) from Head Start preschools located in the greater Los Angeles area. Results showed that both Chinese and Latino children played more with same-ethnic than cross-ethnic peers, but only Latino children showed same-ethnic preferences in friendship nominations. Play dyads of the same ethnic group engaged in more complex play than those of different ethnic groups. Practice or Policy: Findings suggest that preferences for same-ethnic peers are starting to emerge in preschool classrooms. In addition, prosocial behaviors may be important for all children, regardless of ethnicity, to gain peer acceptance. Implications for practice are addressed.

Response Inhibition, Peer Preference and Victimization, and Self-Harm: Longitudinal Associations in Young Adult Women with and without ADHD.

Self-harm (suicidal ideation and attempts; non-suicidal self-injuries behavior) peaks in adolescence and early-adulthood, with rates higher for women than men. Young women with childhood psychiatric diagnoses appear to be at particular risk, yet more remains to be learned about the key predictors or mediators of self-harm outcomes. Our aims were to examine, with respect to self-harm-related outcomes in early adulthood, the predictive validity of childhood response inhibition, a cardinal trait of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), as well as the potential mediating effects of social preference and peer victimization, ascertained in early adolescence. Participants were an ethnically and socioeconomically diverse sample of 228 girls with and without ADHD, an enriched sample for deficits in response inhibition. Childhood response inhibition (RI) predicted young-adult suicide ideation (SI), suicide attempts (SA), and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), over and above full-scale IQ, mother's education, household income, and age. Importantly, teacher-rated social preference in adolescence was a partial mediator of the RI-SI/SA linkages; self-reported peer victimization in adolescence emerged as a significant partial mediator of the RI-NSSI linkage. We discuss implications for conceptual models of self-harm and for needed clinical services designed to detect and reduce self-harm.

Relation of peer effects and school climate to substance use among Asian American adolescents

Using a nationally representative, longitudinal sample of Asian American late adolescents/young adults (ages 18–26), this article investigates the link between peer effects, school climate, on the one hand, and substance use, which includes tobacco, alcohol, and other illicit mood altering substance. The sample (N = 1585) is drawn from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Waves I and III). The study is set to empirically test premises of generational, social capital and stage-environment fit theories. The exploratory variables include individual-level (immigrant generation status, ethnic origin, co-ethnic and co-generational peers – peers from the same immigrant generation) as well as school-level measures (average school socio-economic status and school climate). Multilevel modeling (logistic and negative binomial regression) was used to estimate substance use. Results indicate that preference for co-generational friends is inversely associated with frequency of cannabis and other illicit drug use and preference for co-ethnic peers is inversely associated with other illicit drug use. We also find that school climate is a strong and negative predictor of frequency of cannabis and other illicit drug use as well as of heavy episodic drinking. In terms of policy, these findings suggest that Asian American students should benefit from co-ethnic and co-generational peer networks in schools and, above all, from improving school climate.

When do immigrant adolescents feel personally discriminated against? Longitudinal effects of peer preference

Despite research showing that immigrant adolescents differ in the degree to which they feel personally discriminated against, little is known about individual predictors of their perceived personal discrimination. We studied the role of a major developmental task in adolescence that is highly relevant for discrimination experiences: being liked by peers. We followed N = 532 13-year old immigrant students (n = 294 boys) in Greek high schools over 2 years to examine longitudinal links between personal ethnic discrimination and social preference among host-national and immigrant classmates. We applied a sociometric method to asses peer preference and we assessed self-perceived preference. Cross-lagged models revealed that preference among host-national peers but not by immigrant peers predicted low personal ethnic discrimination beyond self-perceptions of preference and group ethnic discrimination. Group ethnic discrimination moderated the effect of preference among host-national peers on low personal ethnic discrimination. Peer preference, in turn, did not feed back on personal ethnic discrimination. Findings highlight the importance of being liked by host-national classmates for immigrant adolescents: it can prevent feelings of being personally discriminated against, even if they perceive their group to be discriminated against.

Daughters are more strongly attached to their mother than sons: a possible mechanism for early social segregation

Social factors hypotheses predict that social segregation between male and female adult ungulates is due to social preferences among same-sex peers and avoidance of the opposite sex, rather than aggregation due to body size dimorphism and differential needs of the sexes. It is suggested that if such social preference/avoidance exists its roots should be early in life. While juvenile ungulate males show social preference for same-sex and same-age peers a few weeks after birth, no studies have confirmed such a phenomenon in juvenile females. In this study we investigated another possible mechanism that would result in an early social preference for same-sex conspecifics among juvenile females: we hypothesized that offspring–mother attachment is stronger for daughters than for sons. Attachment was measured in lambs, Ovis aries, using three characteristics defined initially in children: proximity seeking, distress following separation and exploration in the mother's presence. Lambs were tested at 3 weeks of age in two experimental situations in which they could interact with the mother, a familiar ewe or an unfamiliar ewe. (1) During a choice test between the mother and the familiar ewe, daughters maintained closer proximity with the mother than sons did. During the test without the mother (a familiar versus an unfamiliar ewe) daughters were more distressed than sons were. (2) In an isolation–reunion–separation test, reunion with the mother increased exploratory behaviour more in daughters than in sons. Overall, our results reveal that daughters displayed stronger attachment behaviours and could be more strongly attached to their mother than sons are. Such early preference may be a key factor leading to social preference among females and social segregation between the sexes.

Peer Preference and Friendship Quantity in Children with Externalizing Behavior: Distinct Influences on Bully Status and Victim Status.

This study investigated the predictive relations between externalizing behavior, peer preference and friendship quantity, and bully status and victim status among children becoming acquainted with one another for the first time. Children ages 6.8-9.8 years (24 with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder; 113 typically developing; 72 girls) attended a 2-week summer day camp grouped into same-age, same-sex classrooms with previously unacquainted peers. Externalizing behavior (via parent and teacher ratings) was measured before the start of camp; peer preference and friendship quantity (via peer nominations) were measured in the middle of camp, and bully status and victim status (via peer nominations) were measured at the end of camp. Low peer preference mediated the positive association between externalizing behavior and bully status. Both peer preference and friendship quantity moderated the relation between externalizing behavior and bully status as well as between externalizing behavior and victim status; whereas high peer preference protected against both bully status and victim status, friendship quantity protected against victim status but exacerbated bully status. Some gender differences were found within these pathways. Peer preference, compared to friendship quantity, appears to have a more consistently protective role in the relation between externalizing behavior and bully status as well as victim status.

Biased self-perceptions of social competence and engagement in physical and relational aggression: the moderating role of peer status and sex.

This study sought to expand on prior research suggesting that children low in peer status who either over- or underestimate their social competence relative to others' reports are more likely to be aggressive (White and Kistner [2011]. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 39, 645-656). The curvilinear associations between social competence bias and two forms of aggression (physical and relational) were examined in a sample of 4th through 6th graders (n = 183); moderation by both sex and peer status (peer preference and popularity) also were tested. Social competence bias was operationally defined as the residual difference between child and teacher ratings of the child's social competence. Aggression and peer status were measured using peer nomination procedures. There was a significant curvilinear association between social competence bias and physical aggression moderated by both types of peer status. For low peer status children greater underestimation and overestimation of social competence was associated with higher physical aggression. The curvilinear association between social competence bias and relational aggression was moderated by both peer status and sex. Popular boys had higher rates of relational aggression when they had accurate, rather than biased, self-perceptions of social competence. However, for very highly preferred girls, a more extreme positive bias was associated with an exponential increase in relational aggression. Results are discussed in terms of implications for aggression theory and intervention.

Do These Norms Make Me Look Fat? The Effect of Exposure to Others’ Body Preferences on Personal Body Ideals

In this study we examined the influence of normative body ideals in the form of perceived peer preferences on personal body ideals and body dissatisfaction Participants (N=146 female college students) were exposed to the purported preferences of peers representing either relatively thin or heavy body ideals. Along with the normative body ideal manipulation, the gender of the purported peers was manipulated. Participants then selected their ideal for their own body and body dissatisfaction was measured. Women selected a thinner personal body ideal in the thin norm condition than in the heavy norm condition. This effect was seen irrespective of the gender of the purported peers. Body dissatisfaction was not influenced by the manipulation. The malleability of body image and the influence of social factors on ideal body size are discussed.

EPA-1697 – Recalled gender-related play behavior and peer preferences in childhood and adolescence among adult gender-dysphoric individuals

It is frequently suggested that gender role norms influence certain expectations towards a child's gender related behavior and that deviations are perceived negatively by the social environment. Gender-dysphoric individuals experience a strong and persistent cross-gender identification and discomfort about the assigned sex and the associated gender role behaviors. The objective of this study was to investigate how adult gender dysphoric individuals recall play and peer-group preferences in childhood according to stereotypical expectations regarding the assigned sex. Differences between individuals who transition from female to male (FtMs) and those who transition from male to female (MtFs) as well as differences with regard to subgroups based on the age of onset (early onset: during childhood, EO; late onset: with begin of puberty development, LO) are tested. Data collection took place as part of the European network for the investigation of gender incongruence (ENIGI), a multicenter cooperation between European gender clinics in Amsterdam (NL), Ghent (BE), Hamburg (GER) and Oslo (NO). Play behavior and peer preferences were measured as part of the Biographic Questionnaire on Transsexualism . The total sample of N=634 participants was collected between 2006 and 2012. Participants were prescribed a diagnosis according to DSM-IV-TR criteria of Gender Identity Disorder . The results show, that cross-gender behavior was more frequently recalled in FtMS than MtFs. Within the gender-groups, individuals who were assessed as having an early onset recalled cross-gender behaviors more frequently than individuals who were assessed as having a late-onset. The results will be discussed in line with actual research findings.

Social goals, aggression, peer preference, and popularity: longitudinal links during middle school.

Social goals are associated with behaviors and adjustment among peers. However, it remains unclear whether goals predict adolescent social development. We examined prospective associations among goals, physical and relational aggression, social preference, and popularity during middle school (N = 384 participants, ages 12-14 years). Agentic (status, power) goals predicted increased relational aggression and communal (closeness) goals predicted decreased physical aggression. Popularity predicted increases and preference predicted decreases in both forms of aggression. Goals moderated longitudinal links between aggression and popularity: Aggression predicted increases in popularity and vice versa for youth with higher agentic goals, and popularity predicted increases in physical aggression for youth with higher agentic and lower communal goals. Implications for research on social goals, aggression, and popularity are discussed.

Should educators and parents encourage other-gender interactions? Gender segregation and sexism

We investigated gender differences in the association between gender-segregated peer preferences and sexism in adolescents (15–17 years, 60 boys and 85 girls). To assess gender-segregated peer preferences, adolescents nominated peers for interaction in two contexts: ‘hanging out’ at home and working on a school project. The Modern Sexism Scale [Swim, J. K., K. J. Aikin, W. S. Hall, and B. A. Hunter. 1995. “Sexism and Racism: Old-Fashioned and Modern Prejudices.” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 68 (2): 199–214] measured two dimensions of sexism: Antagonism towards Women's Demands (believing feminist issues are unimportant) and denial of continuing discrimination (believing gender discrimination no longer exists). For boys, Antagonism towards Women's Demands was associated with gender-segregated peer preferences in the school and home context. For girls, Denial of Continuing Discrimination was associated with gender-segregated peer preferences in the home context. Results are informative for educators and for other professionals interested in reducing inequality and sexism among adolescents.

Contextual Influences on Gender Segregation in Emerging Adulthood

To better understand contextual influences on gender segregation in emerging adulthood, we examined the extent to which college students (N = 285; 178 females, 107 males) from the Mid-Atlantic region of the U.S. nominated same-gender peers when listing their close friends, preferred workmates for projects in English and math classes, and preferred partners for “hanging out.” We used an established, self-report measure to examine the relation between preferences to affiliate with same-gender peers and students’ gender-typed activity involvement (i.e., involvement in activities stereotypically associated with one’s own gender). The majority of close friends nominated by both women and men were same-gender peers, but men nominated relatively more same-gender friends than did women. Workmate nominations for class projects followed gender stereotypes. Women were least likely to nominate same-gender workmates for a math project compared to an English project or to “hang out.” Men were least likely to nominate same-gender workmates for a project in English compared to a math project or to “hang out.” For both women and men, nominating more same-gender friends and workmates was associated with less involvement in activities stereotypically associated with the other gender. The stability of emerging adults’ preferences for same-gender peers across contexts is discussed.

‘Friends and grades’: Peer preference and attachment predict academic success among Naskapi youth

The primary findings of this study are preliminary support for the promotive effects of positive peer relations in an educational context with a specific group of First Nations adolescents. Eighty-one students from grades 6–11 who attended the sole school in the Naskapi community of Kawawachikamach in northern Québec, representing virtually all of the youths in the community, completed questionnaires regarding peer preferences, self-report peer and parental attachment, and affiliation with mainstream White and Native culture. Based on a regression analysis with full information maximum likelihood (FIML) analyses to handle missing data, only the measures of peer preference and self-report attachment to peers were found to predict school grades. These findings are inconsistent with the oppositional hypothesis that has been forwarded with other minority youths from historically oppressed communities, but rather are evidence for the beneficial effects of ‘peer power’ in this community.

Scripted collaborative drawing in elementary science education

Creating graphical representations can foster knowledge gains on science topics in elementary school students by promoting active integration and translation of new information. Collaborating on joint representations may encourage children to discuss and elaborate their knowledge. To foster productive interactions, children may greatly benefit from additional guidance through collaboration scripts or careful group composition. In this study, we investigate the effects of script support and group composition by social preference on children’s learning processes and outcomes in a collaborative drawing setting within science education. The script foresaw a phase of individual preparation and prompted learners to engage in critical interactions. Group composition was based on children’s preferences for peers to work with. Results show that whereas the drawings of unscripted children depicted the concepts to be learned more adequately, scripted children acquired more domain knowledge during the experience. We discuss how a script can facilitate learning through collaborative drawing by imposing additional challenges on children’s interactions.

Majority Children's Evaluation of Acculturation Preferences of Immigrant and Emigrant Peers

Using an experimental design, native majority group children (8-13years, N=842) evaluated acculturation strategies (assimilation, integration, and separation) adopted by immigrant and emigrant peers. There were medium to large effects of the perceived acculturation strategies on children's peer evaluations. Overall, assimilation was valued most, followed by integration and separation. These effects were in part mediated by perceived national belonging. In addition, the effects were stronger for lower status compared to higher status immigrant groups, and for children with higher compared to lower national identification. For emigrants, separation was valued most, followed by integration and assimilation. This indicates that the intergroup processes rather than migration per se are important for children's acculturation perceptions and evaluations.

Peer preference: a way of evaluating social competence and behavioural well-being in early childhood

This study investigated the differences in peer preference, gender and temperamental characteristics of children aged five to six in relation to their social competence (SC) and behavioural adaptation. The data were collected through the use of ‘Picture Sociometry Scale’, ‘SC and Behaviour Evaluation Scale’ and ‘Short Temperament Scale for Children’. The participants in the study were 42 preschoolers, their mothers and the children's teachers. The study was carried out in a preschool in Ankara, Turkey. The results revealed that children with higher peer preference showed more SC. Moreover, children with higher level of persistence and approach revealed increased SC while children with higher reactivity had greater anger-aggression behavioural orientation.

The effects of teacher-child relationships on children's peer preference and peer victimization

The effects of teacher-child relationships on children's peer preference and peer victimization

Understanding Students’ Intentions Towards Entrepreneurship: Comparing Students in Egypt and the US

The uprising in Egypt on January 25, 2011 resulted in a major restructuring of the country’s political and economic structure, and entrepreneurs are expected to play an important role in creating a sustainable economy during this transitional period and for years to come. Using the theoretical lens of the decomposed theory of planned behavior, we compare the entrepreneurial intentions of undergraduate students in university programs in Egypt and in the United States. Specifically, we look at personal attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, outcome expectancy, preference for innovation, family, friends, peers, and professors’ influence, entrepreneurial self-efficacy, social media self-efficacy, and resource availability, and investigate their impact on the predilection toward engaging in entrepreneurial initiatives. A Partial Least Squares (PLS) analysis using data from 361 students from Egypt and the United States indicates that (1) Attitude, subjective norms, and preference for innovati...

Prejudicial behavior: More closely linked to homophilic peer preferences than to trait bigotry

We disagree with Dixon et al. by maintaining that prejudice is primarily rooted in aversive reactions toward out-group members. However, these reactions are not indicative of negative attributes, such as trait bigotry, but rather normative homophily for peers with similar perceived attributes. Cognitive biases such as stereotype threat perpetuate perceptions of inequipotential and subsequent discrimination, irrespective of individuals' personality characteristics.