title: Cross-sectional and longitudinal relations among peer-reported trustworthiness, social relationships, and psychological adjustment in children and early adolescents from the United Kingdom and Canada.
abstract: Trustworthiness was examined in children and early adolescents from two countries. In Study 1,505 children in the fifth and sixth school years in the United Kingdom (mean age = 9 years 7 months) were tested across an 8-month period. In Study 2,350 sixth- through eighth-grade Canadian children and early adolescents (mean age = 12 years 11 months) were tested across a 1-year period. Participants completed measures assessing trustworthiness (ratings of promise and secret keeping by peer group and also by best friend in Study 1), assertiveness (Study 1), prosocial behavior (Study 2), social relationships (friendships and peer preference), and psychological adjustment (self-esteem, depressive symptoms, and loneliness). Peer-reported trustworthiness was positively associated with, and predicted changes across time in, the number of friendships. The observed relations were found to be statistically independent of peer preference and peer-reported assertiveness or prosocial behavior. Trustworthiness was found to be positively associated with peer preference (Study 1 and Study 2) and psychological adjustment (Study 1).
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Keele University, Staffordshire ST5 5BG, UK. k.j.rotenberg@psy.keele.ac.uk
authors.forename: Ken J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Rotenberg
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: McDougall
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Boulton
authors.forename: Tracy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Vaillancourt
authors.forename: Claire
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fox
authors.forename: Shelley
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hymel
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D002170:Canada; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003469:Culture; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D010379:Peer Group; D012649:Self Concept; D012917:Social Adjustment; D012919:Social Behavior; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D035502:Trust; D006113:United Kingdom