Children's peer selection: experimental examination of the role of self-perceptions.
Although previous studies have examined characteristics of children selected as friends, little research has examined the role played by characteristics of the selecting child. In 2 experimental studies that examined the role of self-perceptions in peer selection, participants (91 seventh graders in Study 1 and 83 third graders in Study 2) viewed various evaluations of themselves. Participants either believed evaluations were written by unfamiliar peers (Study 1) or were asked to imagine that the views of puppets were views of unfamiliar peers (Study 2). Participants were asked to select the peers they wished to meet and interact with. When evaluations were related to specific competence domains, 7th graders preferred positive peers to negative peers, whereas 3rd graders selected peers who viewed them as they viewed themselves. When evaluations were related to global self-worth, children's selections were unrelated to views of their own global worth. Selection of a globally negative peer was associated with attachment-insecurity/maternal-rejection and depressive symptoms.
Cassidy
Jude
J
Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park 20742, USA. jcassidy@psyc.umd.edu
Aikins
Julie Wargo
JW
Chernoff
Jodi Jacobson
JJ
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002755:Choice Behavior; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D009769:Object Attachment; D010379:Peer Group; D010552:Personality Assessment; D010553:Personality Development; D012059:Rejection, Psychology; D012649:Self Concept; D012933:Social Identification; D012963:Sociometric Techniques