The Moderating Role of Clique Hierarchical Organization on Resource Control by Central Clique Members.

Accessing resources in peer groups is essential for youth's survival and reproduction. To date, little is known about the behavioral strategies used by socially prominent preadolescent and early adolescent resource controllers in peer cliques, groups of individuals who hang out together during free time at school. Theory suggests that clique hierarchical organization should influence forceful resource control behavior of central (prominent) clique members, but evidence is mixed.

Social sensitivity and social, school, and psychological adjustment among children across contexts.

This study examined relations of social sensitivity to social, school, and psychological adjustment in rural Chinese, urban Chinese, and Canadian children. Participants were 4th to 6th grade students (Mage = 11 years) in China (n = 593 and 443 for the rural and urban samples) and Canada (n = 325). A self-report measure of social sensitivity was developed for the study.

Peer Groups as a Context for School Misconduct: The Moderating Role of Group Interactional Style.

Peer group interactional style was examined as a moderator of the relation between peer group school misconduct and group members' school misconduct. Participants were 705 students (M  = 11.59 years, SD = 1.

Social Sensitivity and Adjustment in Chinese and Canadian Children.

This study examined relations of social sensitivity to socioemotional and school adjustment in Chinese and Canadian children. Participants were fourth- to eighth-grade students (Mage  = 12 years) in China (n = 723) and Canada (n = 568). Data were obtained from multiple sources.

Affiliation with Socially Withdrawn Groups and Children's Social and Psychological Adjustment.

This 1-year longitudinal study examined the effects of membership in socially withdrawn peer groups on children's social and psychological adjustment in a sample of 979 children (417 boys, 562 girls, M age = 11.84 years). Data on children's social and psychological adjustment and problems were collected from peer nominations and self-reports in the fall and spring of a single academic year.

Peer group status as a moderator of group influence on children's deviant, aggressive, and prosocial behavior.

Group status was examined as a moderator of peer group socialization of deviant, aggressive, and prosocial behavior. In the fall and 3 months later, preadolescents and early adolescents provided self-reported scores for deviant behavior and group membership, and peer nominations for overt and relational aggression, prosocial behavior, and social preference. Using the social cognitive map, 116 groups were identified involving 526 children (282 girls; M age=12.

Effects of friendship and gender on peer group entry.

Effects of hosts' conflicting motives (to win a game vs. to be a good friend) on peer group entry processes and outcomes were examined. Subjects were 68 triads (35 female) of 10-12-year-old predominantly White children.

Age differences in support processes in conversations between friends.

The purpose of this study was to examine age differences in the use and effectiveness of social support processes emitted during conversations about real life negative events between preadolescent, adolescent, and adult friends. Age differences were found for 3 forms of support. Older supporters made more excuses and engaged in less distraction than preadolescent supporters, and adult supporters validated more excuses than younger supporters.

The psychological functions of preadolescent peer activities.

The psychological functions of preadolescent peer activities were assessed by examining activity-related prescriptions and prescriptions for peer behavior. 91 fifth- and sixth-grade children (48 girls) kept week-long diaries of important peer activities and liked and disliked behaviors performed by peers in the activities. 81 other fifth- and sixth-grade children (40 girls) rated the importance and prevalence of each activity and indicated which of several positive and negative behaviors they would most like or dislike to happen in 10 of the activities.

Interaction and performance within cooperative groups: effects on nonhandicapped students' attitudes toward their mildly mentally retarded peers.

Preferences of 40 nonretarded 7- to 12-year-old children for their mildly mentally retarded schoolmates were assessed before and after participating in a cooperative game with a retarded child. Game conditions varied interaction opportunities between dyad members (high or low) and performance of the retarded child (good or poor). Children's preferences for their retarded partners increased significantly from pre- to postgame, despite performance or interaction levels, suggesting that these factors do not mediate the relation between cooperation and interpersonal attraction.

Why does children's generosity increase with age: susceptibility to experimenter influence or altruism?

This study evaluated whether age differences in children's generosity are due to increasing altruistic motivation or increasing susceptibility to experimenter influence strategies. 282 first, third, and fifth graders voted on how to spend a gift of money under 1 of 5 instructional sets--3 levels of experimenter influence, peer influence, or no influence, or no influence. Voting choices (in increasing order of generosity according to experimenter-defined scoring weights) were splitting up the money equally among class members, buying something for their class, buying something for their school, or giving the money to poor children.