Children's attributions for peers' positive behaviors: social status differences.
The purpose of this study was to investigate differences between aggressive-rejected and nonaggressive-cooperative boys in their attributions for peers' positive behaviors. In individual interviews, 27 aggressive-rejected and 27 nonaggressive-accepted boys were presented with 10 vignettes and a real-life situation in which a peer's action resulted in a favorable outcome for another peer or for the subject. Subject's attributions for the peer's behavior were elicited with open-ended probes. Analysis of variance indicated that the groups did not differ in their tendency to infer positive intentions in the hypothetical story condition. In the real-life situation, aggressive-rejected boys were less likely to infer positive intentionality than were the nonaggressive-accepted boys. Boys' responses across the two conditions (hypothetical and real life) were moderately consistent.
Hughes
J N
JN
Department of Educational Psychology, Texas A&M University, College Station 77843.
Robinson
M S
MS
Moore
L A
LA
D000374:Aggression / Q000523:psychology*; D001290:Attitude; D002648:Child; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010379:Peer Group; D010553:Personality Development; D012059:Rejection, Psychology; D012951:Socialization; D012963:Sociometric Techniques