Measuring Social Peer Rejection during Childhood: Development and Validation

This article defines the construct of social peer rejection and describes the development of the Social Peer Rejection Measure. Social peer rejection entails being rejected, excluded, ostracized, or criticized by one's peers; lack of active sympathy and active dislike on the part of one's peers; ignoring; preventing access to friends, playtime activities, toys, or important information; verbal aggression; commands; and blaming the rejected child. Evidence for the validity and reliability of the scale is presented. Results indicated strong content validity, construct validity, and criterion-referenced validity. Differences were found between females and males in terms of insult, accusation, and reported levels of physical attack.     

Validation of the Children's Assertive Behavior Scale

Relationships between sociometric indices and scores of 160 elementary-school children on the Children's Assertive Behavior Scale (CABS) were examined to determine whether this instrument differentiates children of varying levels of social competence. Children who obtained either high or low scores on peer nominations of friendship and admiration were identified and compared on CABS passive, aggressive, and assertive scores. Children who scored high on positive peer nominations responded in a significantly less aggressive manner than children who received low scores on such nominations. These effects were observed for the CABS format that consisted of stimulus situations involving adults but not for the form involving peers. With regard to responses toward peers, a significant interaction between sex and sociometric status emerged. These findings suggest the importance of incorporating subject variables such as race and sex as well as assessments of behavior toward both adults and children in isolating and training components of social skill.The authors wish to express their appreciation to Jean Birbilis, Gail Hammersly, Marieta Knopf, and Donna Wadley for their assistance in data collection and analysis.     

同伴关系在儿童社会自我概念形成中的中介作用

运用提名和问卷法．对706名香港小学3、4年级学生的亲社会行为、攻击行为、受欺负行为、同伴接受性及社会自我概念进行了测量。结果发现．儿童的亲社会行为对其同伴接受性有明显的正向预测效果．攻击和受欺负行为对儿童的同伴关系则会产生明显的负面作用．儿童的这些社会性行为通过同伴关系这一中介变量．间接地作用于儿童的社会自我概念。     

儿童早期同伴接纳与社会适应的关系：一项交叉滞后分析

采用间隔一年半的追踪设计对192名学前儿童的同伴接纳和社会适应之间的关系进行交叉滞后分析。结果发现：T1同伴接纳可以显著正向预测T2社会能力,显著负相预测T2外化问题行为,T1社会能力能够显著正向预测T2同伴接纳,T1内化问题和外化问题行为可以显著负向预测T2同伴接纳;T2同伴接纳可以显著正向预测T3社会能力,显著负相预测T3外化问题行为,T2社会能力能够显著正向预测T3同伴接纳。这些结果表明,同伴接纳和社会适应之间存在相互影响,并随着儿童年龄增长,存在一定程度的动态变化。     

Evaluation of Peer Training for Teaching Abduction Prevention Skills

Child abduction is a serious problem, with approximately 100 children killed each year by nonfamily abductors. Training programs to teach children the correct skills to use if they ever come into contact with a stranger can be effective when they incorporate behavioral skills training (BST) and in-situ training (IST) into their protocol. However, these methods can be rather time and energy consuming. The current study evaluated the effectiveness and efficiency of a peer tutoring approach to teaching abduction prevention skills. Peer trainers implemented BST sessions and IST sessions with their younger peers. Children successfully acquired the target safety behaviors taught by the peer trainers, and use of the skills generalized to their natural environment.     

儿童孤独感与同伴关系、社会行为及社交自我知觉的研究

本研究采用同伴提名法和问卷调查法对3-6年级儿童共600名进行了研究,试图考察儿童孤独感与同伴关系、社会行为及社交自我知觉的关系。结果表明:(1)受欢迎组儿童的孤独感显著低于被拒绝组、被忽视组、有争议组和一般组;一般组儿童的孤独感显著低于被拒绝组和被忽视组。(2)社交自我知觉较高的儿童的孤独感显著低于社交自我知觉一般和较低的儿童,社交自我知觉一般的儿童的孤独感显著低于社交自我知觉较低的儿童。(3)高攻击型儿童的孤独感高于低攻击型儿童,但没有达到显著水平;高退缩型儿童的孤独感显著高于一般退缩型和低退缩型儿童,一般退缩型儿童的孤独感显著高于低退缩型的儿童。     

4-8年级学生社交淡漠与同伴接纳的交叉滞后回归分析

摘要：用同伴提名和班级戏剧对小学4年级至初中二年级787名儿童进行一年的追踪研究,采用交叉滞后设计,考察了社交淡漠与同伴接纳的相互预测关系。结果发现：（1）同伴接纳与社交淡漠呈显著负相关;（2）社交淡漠在一年时间内呈现出高度的稳定性。测试时间与性别、年级的交互作用显著,在一年时间里,小学男生社交淡漠水平有所减少、女生社交淡漠水平有所增加,而初中男生社交淡漠水平有所增加、女生社交淡漠水平有所减少;（3）二元交叉滞后回归分析结果表明,社交淡漠与同伴接纳的关系模式存在显著的性别差异。对于男生,前测的社交淡漠可以显著预测后测的同伴接纳,而前测的同伴接纳不能显著预测后测的社交淡漠。女生则呈现完全相反的模式。     

Comparability of peer-assessment measures: A multitrait-multimethod and selection analytic approach

This research attempted to assess the relationship among the Pupil Evaluation Inventory (PEI), sociometric nominations, and sociometric ratings in terms of (1) a multitrait-multimethod analysis, (2) selection agreement indices of extreme individuals, and (3) stability over an 8-week period. Subjects were members of four second-grade classrooms at a regional school serving a diverse population of children. While stability estimates for measures were adequate and evidence for convergent validity was reasonably good, evidence for divergent validity was weaker. Selection agreement analyses yielded highly variable results, indicating that different samples of children tend to be selected by different instruments despite the similarity in dimensions being tapped. Methodological and theoretical implications of these findings are discussed.This work was based on the first author's M.S. thesis under the direction of the second author.     

‘Play skills’ for shy children: development of a Social Skills Facilitated Play early intervention program for extremely inhibited preschoolers

The aim of the present study was to develop and provide a preliminary evaluation of a social‐skills‐based early intervention program specifically designed to assist extremely inhibited preschoolers. Participants were a sample of n=22 extremely inhibited preschool‐aged children, who were randomly assigned to either the Social Skills Facilitated Play (SST) or Waitlist Control (WLC) condition. As compared to wait‐list controls, extremely inhibited children who participated in the SST‐facilitated play program sessions demonstrated a significantly greater post‐intervention decrease in observed socially wary behaviours and a significantly greater increase in social and socially competent behaviours at preschool. Results are discussed in terms of the importance of developing and refining early intervention programs for extremely inhibited young children. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

社会技能构成因素及其意义

阐述了社会技能的构成因素,其主要包括自信、报答与强化、非言语交流技能、言语交流技能、同理心、合作、关心他人等;以及社会技能对个体的社会支持、心身健康和工作效率的影响。     

家庭学习环境对儿童早期学业和社会技能的作用

家庭学习环境作为个体出生后最先接触到的学习环境,对个体早期乃至未来一生的发展都有重要作用。本研究以181名年龄在53~67个月的学前儿童及其母亲为被试,考察了家庭学习环境对儿童早期语言、数学和社会技能的作用。结果发现:(1)控制个体性别、年龄后,家庭学习环境对儿童早期语言、数学和社会技能的解释率分别为9.2%、4.4%和9.6%,均大于家庭社会经济地位和学前教育经历对三方面技能的解释率;(2)进一步控制家庭社会经济地位和学前教育经历后,家庭学习环境仍可显著预测个体早期语言、数学和社会技能,解释率分别为7.4%、3.2%和8.5%;(3)家庭学习环境的不同方面与儿童早期发展不同方面的关系不同。其中,家庭学习活动是儿童早期语言和数学技能的重要预测变量,丰富生活经验是儿童早期社会技能的重要预测变量。     

儿童同伴关系对孤独感的影响

以571名小学三、四、五、六年级的儿童为被试,考察了儿童社会喜好、友谊质量、消极退缩、社交自我知觉与孤独感的关系,检验了不同水平同伴关系变量对孤独感的影响。结果表明,儿童的同伴关系(同伴接纳、友谊质量、社交自我知觉)能显著预测其孤独感体验,其中,处于同伴关系个体水平的社交自我知觉对孤独感的预测作用最大,其次分别为双向关系水平的友谊质量和群体接纳水平的同伴接纳,而处于人际交互水平的消极退缩在控制了其他水平同伴关系变量的影响下,并不能显著预测其孤独感体验。     

青少年社会行为对同伴关系的影响

以349名初中一至三年级青少年为被试,采用同伴提名法和"班级戏剧"量表收集数据,考察社会行为对同伴关系的影响。结果表明:(1)"班级戏剧"量表中的30种社会行为可划分为亲社会行为、攻击行为、退缩行为和有争议行为四个方面;(2)亲社会行为和有争议行为能够正向预测同伴的正向提名,攻击和退缩行为能够正向预测同伴的反向提名,亲社会行为能正向预测社会喜好程度,而社会影响程度则主要是由亲社会、攻击和有争议行为预测的。(3)受欢迎组青少年的亲社会行为和有争议行为较多;被拒绝组的攻击和退缩行为较多;被忽视组的退缩行为最多;有争议组青少年的攻击行为、有争议行为和亲社会行为均较多,退缩行为最少。其中,受欢迎组和被拒绝组又可以根据被欢迎和拒绝的理由而划分出亚类型。     

Effects of a Peer Engagement Program on Socially Withdrawn Children with a History of Maltreatment

Children with a history of child maltreatment often have limited social interactions with other children and adults. This study examined the effects of a Peer Engagement Program, consisting of peer mentoring and social skills training with positive reinforcement, in three children with low levels of oral and social interaction. A multiple baseline, single-subject research design was used to test whether introduction of the intervention was associated with increased, directly observed oral interaction and engagement in social activities with peers and adults. The Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and the Social Skills Rating Scale (SSRS) were administered before and after intervention. All children showed increased levels of oral and social interaction and improved scores on the SSRS and the CBCL.     

儿童同伴信任和同伴接纳的关系:社会行为的中介效应及其性别差异

在金华市和杭州市两所市区普通小学, 选取366名3~6年级儿童为被试, 采用同伴互评、同伴提名法和班级戏剧问卷, 考察了社会行为在小学儿童同伴信任和同伴接纳间的中介效应及其性别差异。结果表明:(1)总体而言, 亲社会行为、退缩行为在儿童同伴信任和同伴接纳间存在显著的中介效应, 而攻击行为的中介效应不显著;(2)社会行为的中介效应存在性别差异。女生的同伴信任对亲社会行为的预测、亲社会行为对同伴接纳的预测作用都显著高于男生, 使得女生亲社会行为的中介效应大于男生。男女生的同伴信任对退缩行为的预测作用没有性别差异, 但是男生的退缩行为对同伴接纳的预测作用显著高于女生, 使得男生退缩行为的中介效应大于女生。     

Assessing preference for types of social interaction

To date, few researchers have evaluated methods for assessing preference for social interactions. Due to concerns that commonly used stimulus preference assessment methods may be inappropriate, or at least cumbersome, for the assessment of social reinforcers, we developed and evaluated a new method of assessing preference for social interactions. A social interaction preference assessment (SIPA) and a concurrent operant reinforcer assessment were conducted with five participants diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. A differentially preferred and reinforcing social interaction was identified for all five participants. The SIPA procedures, results, and the implications of these results are discussed.     

小学儿童问题行为、同伴关系与孤独感的特点及其关系

本研究以246名小学三至五年级儿童为被试,考察了儿童问题行为、同伴关系与孤独感的特点及其关系。结果发现：(1)儿童的外部问题行为、社会喜好、社会影响及孤独感均存在性别差异,内、外部问题行为和孤独感均存在年级差异;(2)儿童内、外部问题行为对其孤独感的影响方式不同：外部问题行为通过社会喜好和社会影响两个中介变量实现对孤独感的间接影响,其直接作用不显著,内部问题行为则直接影响儿童孤独感;(3)不同社会地位儿童的问题行为和孤独感也存在差异。     

Development and psychometric properties of the Children's Assertive Behavior Scale

The purpose of this paper is to present the psychometric properties and individual items comprising the Children's Assertive Behavior Scale (CABS). The CABS is a behaviorally designed self-report instrument for children which measures general and specific social skills and covers many socially relevant situations which are problematic for children. Acceptable psychometric properties of the 27-item test were obtained in several independent investigations across both geographical regions and grade levels. The CABS showed significant concurrent validity with peer, parent, and teacher measures of social competency. The CABS also discriminated trained versus untrained children participating in social skills versus a placebo discussion group. The instrument is presented, along with recommendations for future applications and research.Both authors share equal responsibility for the development and evaluation of the Children's Assertive Behavior Scale.