Child-context interactions: temperament and the development of peer group status among previously unacquainted children
Date
1989
Authors
Hobson-Underwood, Penelope Anne
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Abstract
Theoretical models from the temperament literature are used as a basis for testing hypothesized relationships between temperamental dispositions, peer interactions, and peer group status in the present short-term longitudinal study. Ninety- six 6 to 9 year old children (50 girls, 46 boys) were brought together in groups of eight to interact with previously unacquainted, same-sex peers of similar ages for five hours. Each child was then given a sociometric interview and asked to nominate his or her two most- and least- favorite peers in the playgroup. Measures of each child' s emotionality, activity, sociability, and shyness (Buss & Plomin, 1984) were gathered from parents, observers previously unacquainted with the children, and the children themselves, to test predictions about the temperamental profiles of sociometrically rejected, neglected, average, and popular status children. A measure of body build (ponderal index) was also included. Behavioural observations were coded for each child over the course of the day to test hypothesized interactional patterns related to temperament and final peer group status. Data on I.Q., physical attractiveness and socioeconomic status were included to provide additional information on child and environmental variables, as well as to act as controls. Statistical analyses reveal significant differences in patterns of temperaments, behavioural interactions, appearance, I.Q., and SES among children in different sociometric status groups. The presence of children in each group having similar, and different characteristics, also suggests several alternative combinations of characteristics that may lead to more or less favorable peer group status. Findings of this study confirm the hypothesis that temperament plays an important role in the development of peer group status. Results also support the notion that children simultaneously evoke and experience differential responses and environments based on their own characteristics of individuality. Complex interactions involving temperament, social context (observers vs. parents), sex, and peer group status also provide indirect evidence of the operation of child-environment transactions in development. Findings support both personological and contextual models of child-environment interactions. Preliminary data on the nature of self-perceived temperament of children of different peer group status are also provided.