Individual-group behavioral similarity and peer status in experimental play groups of boys: the social misfit revisited.
This study evaluated individual-group similarity and dissimilarity hypotheses generally stipulating that the behavioral correlates of status are moderated by the peer group context in which they are displayed. Thirty play groups of 5 or 6 unacquainted same-age boys participated in five 45-min sessions. Five behaviors described group and individual characteristics: reactive aggression, proactive aggression, solitary play, rough-and-tumble play, and positive interactive behavior. Individual social preference scores were computed following a variant of the J. D. Coie and K. A. Dodge (1983) procedure. The behavioral correlates of emerging peer status were examined as a function of the group's behavioral norms. Evidence of a dissimilarity effect was found for solitary play and reactive aggression whereas positive interactive behavior followed a rule of similarity.
Boivin
M
M
Ecole de Psychologie, Université Laval Ste-Foy, Québec, Canada.
Dodge
K A
KA
Coie
J D
JD
D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D010379:Peer Group; D010988:Play and Playthings; D012919:Social Behavior