Skewed autonomy-relatedness in preadolescents' conceptions of their relationships with mother, father, and best friend.

Healthy adaptation within all close relationships--whether with parents, friends, or romantic partners--involves striking a balance between connectedness to and independence from the relationship partner. For some individuals, adaptation within one or more relationships is skewed, or characterized by either an excessive concern for closeness that impedes autonomy (preoccupied stance) or an excessive concern for autonomy that inhibits closeness (avoidant stance). In this study with boys and girls aged 9-14 years, children who reported a preoccupied or avoidant stance toward their mother displayed increased social impairment in the peer group over time. There were predictable associations among children's stances toward mother, father, and best friend. Children resembled their best friend in relationship stance. The study illustrates the advantages of applying common relationship constructs (e.g., autonomy-relatedness) to the study of diverse close relationships.     

Self-representations and socioemotional competence in young children: a 3-year longitudinal study

In a longitudinal study, the connections between children's self-representations at age 5 and their self-perceptions, socioemotional competence according to the teacher, and peer acceptance at age 8 were examined. The sample consisted of 60 children (33 boys, 27 girls). Self-representations at age 5 were assessed by the Puppet Interview (J. Cassidy, 1988). Results generally revealed the expected connections between the positiveness of self at age 5 and self-perceptions and socioemotional functioning 3 years later. These findings support the predictive validity of the Puppet Interview. Moreover, they suggest that young children do possess at least a rudimentary sense of being generally worthy and lovable, which can be assessed by using adequate, age-appropriate interviews.     

学业成绩影响儿童孤独感的中介变量分析

为考察、检验学业成绩影响儿童孤独感的中介变量,采用同伴提名问卷、依恋量表、儿童孤独感量表调查了4—6年级438名儿童。结果表明,在考察单一变量的中介作用时,亲子依恋、同伴拒绝分别在学业成绩与儿童孤独感之间起部分中介作用,教师接纳在二者之间起完全中介作用;当同时考察亲子依恋、同伴拒绝、教师接纳在学业成绩与孤独感之间的中介作用时,三种社会关系起完全中介作用。结论：教师接纳、同伴拒绝和亲子依恋是学业成绩与孤独感之间的中介变量。     

Gender behaviors as predictors of peer acceptance and victimization

Children's peer relationships are important to their socioemotional and cognitive development; thus, understanding the determinants of such relationships is of ongoing interest. It was hypothesized that gender behaviors and affiliations would predict peer acceptance and victimization. Path analyses using data from 192 fourth graders showed that for both genders, engaging in feminine activities predicted less peer‐reported acceptance and greater victimization, and engaging in masculine activities predicted greater peer acceptance. Affiliating with male peers was associated with greater peer‐reported acceptance for both genders, and greater self‐reported peer acceptance for boys. Indirect effects showed that the link between gender behaviors and victimization is mediated by peer acceptance. These findings support the contention that gender behaviors relate to the quality of children's relationships.     

Links between mothers' and children's social competence and associations with maternal adjustment.

Extended previous research on family factors related to children's social competence by examining links between 3 domains of maternal social competence (social skills, social frames, network size) and 3 domains of children's social competence (social skills, peer-rated social preference, and network size) in a sample of 78 mothers and their kindergarten children (42 girls, 36 boys). The mediational role of maternal social competence in the association between mothers' depression and interpersonal sensitivity symptoms and children's social competence was also tested. Results supported associations between all 3 domains of mothers' and children's social competence, with maternal social skills the most frequent predictor of children's social competence. Gender differences suggested that maternal social competence was more strongly related to sons' peer acceptance and daughters' social skills. A mediational model received preliminary support for girls, with maternal psychological symptoms related to girls' social competence via maternal social skills. Implications include the need for continued study of maternal social competence as a family factor related to children's peer functioning and the development of family-based interventions for young children experiencing peer problems.     

The Bonds that Remind Us: Maternal Reminiscing for Bonding Purposes in Relation to Children's Perceived Competence and Social Acceptance

The present study investigated the relation between characteristics of mother–child reminiscing and children's perceived competence and social acceptance. We focused specifically on conversations for bonding purposes (i.e., conversations that serve the function of maintaining or strengthening the relationship between the child and the mother) as bonding may be a particularly salient context for the development of self‐views. Fifty‐two mothers and their 4‐year‐old children engaged in a past‐talk conversation where mothers were instructed to try to bond with their children. Children's perceived cognitive and physical competence and maternal and peer acceptance, along with language, were measured. Our results indicated that characteristics of maternal talk, particularly maternal support of child's autonomy and child‐centred content, were strongly related to children's perceived social acceptance. Although weaker, there were also associations between maternal talk and children's perceived competence. Results are discussed in light of theories arguing in favour of parent–child discourse as a mechanism for self‐development. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

青少年感恩的影响因素及其机制

采用感恩问卷、自尊量表、应对效能量表、亲子关系问卷、同伴支持问卷、同伴拒绝问卷、学校联结量表、社区安全问卷和社区满意问卷对1217名中学生进行调查,考察了青少年感恩的影响因素及其内在机制。结果发现:(1)自尊、应对效能、亲子关系、同伴支持、学校联结、社区安全和社区满意与感恩显著正相关,同伴拒绝与感恩显著负相关;(2)自尊在亲子关系、学校联结与青少年感恩之间起着部分中介作用,应对效能在亲子关系、同伴支持、学校联结与青少年感恩之间起着部分中介作用;表明与亲子关系、同伴支持、学校联结等环境因素相比,自尊和应对效能等个体因素是影响青少年感恩的更近端因素。     

班级环境变量对儿童社会行为与学校适应间关系的影响

运用同伴提名和问卷法,对82个城市初中班级的4650名学生进行了测试,并使用多水平分析技术探讨了班级环境变量对儿童社会行为和学校适应间关系的影响。结果显示：儿童的亲社会行为可以显著地正向预测其同伴接受和学业成就,儿童的攻击、退缩行为对学业成就和同伴接受有明显的负向预测效果;在班级环境变量方面,老师支持可以减弱退缩行为和学校适应间的负向联系;老师训诫不仅可以减弱攻击行为与同伴接受间的负向关联,并且对退缩行为与学业成就之间的负向联系也具有削弱效果;同学关系这一变量的班级效果最为明显,可以明显地增强儿童问题行为与学校适应间的负向联系;而班级秩序纪律对攻击行为和学校适应间的负向关联有明显的强化效果。     

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。     

Caregivers’ emotional competence and behavioral responsiveness as correlates of early childcare workers’ relationships with children in their care

In the current study, we examined associations among early childcare workers’ emotional competence, observed responsiveness, comfort with socioemotional teaching practices, and the quality of their relationships with children in their care. The participants were 100 early childcare workers (72 center-based Early Head Start teachers and 28 family childcare providers). Results showed that caregivers’ emotion regulation ability was positively associated with caregiver–child relational closeness. Understanding and regulation of emotion were both positively associated with childcare workers’ comfort with socioemotional teaching practices. Their observed responsiveness was positively related to relational closeness and negatively related to relational conflict. Findings are consistent with aspects of the prosocial classroom model, which asserts that educators high in emotional and social competence tend to adopt childcare practices that result in supportive relationships with children. Results provide insight into whether childcare workers’ responsiveness to young children and their perceived socioemotional teaching practices provide a pathway between emotional competence and the quality of caregiver–child relationships.     

Childhood peer relationships: social acceptance, friendships, and peer networks

This review addresses several areas of contemporary research in children's peer relationships during the elementary and middle school years, with primary foci on children's peer acceptance, the ability to make and maintain friendships, and their participation in larger peer networks. Particular attention is given to research examining the major developments and individual differences in each of these components of children's peer relations, how these different aspects of peer functioning relate to one another, and how they contribute to development more generally, including school adjustment and achievement. Finally, it is argued that children's psychosocial development may be best informed by an integration of these somewhat independent research traditions.     

幼儿情绪理解、情绪调节与其同伴接纳的关系

选取83名4岁幼儿,探讨他们的情绪理解、情绪调节与其同伴接纳的关系.采用表情识别任务、情绪观点采择任务测查幼儿的情绪理解能力,采用教师评定问卷测查幼儿的情绪调节策略,使用照片社会评价法测查幼儿被同伴接纳的程度.结果表明:在总体上,情绪观点采择与情绪调节策略有关,情绪调节策略与同伴接纳有关,情绪观点采择能力与同伴接纳的边缘正相关在控制年龄后消失了;年长组儿童的攻击策略能显著预测同伴接纳,年幼组儿童的情绪观点采择、攻击策略、建构性策略都与同伴接纳有关,但只有攻击策略、建构性策略能显著预测同伴接纳;年幼组儿童的情绪观点采择分别通过攻击策略、建构性策略两条路径间接影响了同伴接纳.研究结果为进一步了解学前儿童同伴接纳的个体差异来源提供了情绪能力方面的数据.     

A longitudinal study of children's depressive symptoms, self-perceptions, and cognitive distortions about the self

This longitudinal study examined how depressive symptoms relate to children's self-perceptions and to estimates of children's cognitive distortions about the self in a nonclinical sample of children who were followed from 4th grade (n = 248) through 6th grade (n = 227). Report card grades measured children's academic competence, and teachers' ratings of children's level of peer acceptance at school indicated social acceptance. Self-reported depressive symptoms predicted a change in children's negative views of the self. Moreover, the self-perceptions of children who exhibited more symptoms of depression appeared to reflect an underestimation of their actual competence. Children's negative self-perceptions and underestimations about the self were not associated with a subsequent change in depressive symptoms. The implications of the findings for cognitive theories of depression and future research with this population are discussed.     

Perceived physical competence and body image as predictors of perceived peer acceptance in adolescents

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships among perceived physical competence, body image, and peer acceptance. Body image was considered as a possible mediator of the relationships between perceived physical competence and peer acceptance. Adolescents (N = 838) completed questionnaires. Direct and indirect effects of perceived physical competence and body image on perceived peer acceptance were explored using structural equation modelling. Gender differences were found and the structural mediation model was a reasonable fit to the data; the pattern of relationships in the model was different for adolescent males and females.     

Sibling relationships during adolescence

The principal objective of this study was to analyse sibling relationships during adolescence, within the context of parent and peer relationships, and their link with socioemotional adjustment. To this end, 513 adolescents aged between 13 and 19 completed instruments relating to parent?–?child relationships, sibling adjustment, relationships with peers, self-esteem and life satisfaction. We found important gender-based differences in the meaning and importance that sibling adjustment seems to have for adolescents. For girls, a good relationship with their siblings was linked to good relationships with their parents and peers, as well as increased self-esteem and life satisfaction. For boys, sibling relationships had no relation with other family or personal variables.     

Links between local language competence and peer relations among Swiss and immigrant children: the mediating role of social behavior

The primary aim of this investigation was to evaluate a model in which children's social behaviors, including prosocial behavior, setting limits, and social withdrawal, were hypothesized to mediate the links between local language competence (LLC) and peer acceptance and victimization. Longitudinal data were collected via teacher and peer reports on 541 (286 boys and 255 girls) immigrant and Swiss native 5-to-6 year-old kindergarteners. Results showed the immigrant children were less fluent in the local language compared to native Swiss classmates. Moreover, results from structural equation models, with bootstrap tests of indirect effects, indicated that social behaviors mediated the link between LLC and the quality of children's peer relationships. Implications of these findings for school professionals are discussed, such as the need to help immigrant children make a smoother transition to their host communities by providing additional language and social supports while children acculturate and acclimate to their new surroundings and peer group.     

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。     

Bidirectional links and concurrent development of parent-child relationships and boys' offending behavior

This study examined different types of longitudinal associations (i.e., directional links and overlapping developmental changes) between children's delinquency and the quality of parent-child relationships from middle childhood to late adolescence. We used 10-wave interview data of 503 boys, their primary caregivers, and their teachers. Our first aim was to unravel the direction of effects between parent-child relationships and children's offending. Cross-lagged panel models revealed bidirectional links over time between poorer quality parent-child relationships and boys' offending across late childhood (age 7-10), early adolescence (age 10-13) and middle adolescence (age 13-16). Second, we examined the associations between mean changes in delinquency, on the one hand, and mean changes in relationship quality, on the other hand. Although parent-child relationships improved during childhood, their quality decreased in early adolescence and remained stable in middle adolescence. Delinquency increased only in middle adolescence. In five out of six models, the slope factors of relationship quality and offending were strongly correlated, indicating that stronger increases in delinquency were associated with stronger decreases in parent-child relationship quality across childhood, early adolescence, and middle adolescence. The discussion focuses on the theoretical implications of these two types of longitudinal associations.     

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。     

Parent–child interactions and relational aggression in peer relationships

The major aim of this review is to propose new ways of thinking about the role of parents in the development and course of children’s relationally aggressive behavior. An important theoretical framework from which to start thinking about linkages between parenting and relational aggression is provided by attachment theory. Attachment theory proposes that early family experiences are an important basis for the development of later peer relationships. Recent studies are only beginning to suggest possible linkages between children’s parental attachment and relational aggression. One possible reason for the scant research is that theoreticians studying these constructs have not yet developed a conceptual framework combining the two, but rather have focused on different characteristics of different interpersonal contexts. Based on the premise that both relational aggression and attachment are relational constructs and given the already established correlations between insecure attachment and physical aggression, this paper will attempt to devise a heuristic model that may serve as an aid to discover links between parent–child interactions, attachment, and relational aggression. Finally, implications for future studies of relational aggression are discussed.