title: Affect-congruent social-cognitive evaluations and behaviors.
abstract: This study examined whether the affect children feel toward peers would influence children's social-cognitive evaluations and behaviors. The sample consisted of 209 fifth-grade children (11- to 12-year-olds; 119 boys and 90 girls). For each child, 3 target peers (liked, disliked, and neutral) were identified via a sociometric nomination procedure. The names of the targets were then inserted into hypothetical vignettes in which the target peer's behavior had a negative consequence for the child. After each vignette, questions about intent, outcome expectations, and self-efficacy beliefs were asked. In addition, self-reports regarding relationship-specific proactive and reactive aggression and regarding victimization were collected. The results demonstrate that children social-cognitively differentiate between the relationship types and that relationship-specific evaluations are associated with relationship-specific behaviors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Turku, FI-20014 Turku, Finland. katlin.peets@utu.fi
authors.forename: Kätlin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Peets
authors.forename: Ernest V E
authors.initials: EV
authors.lastname: Hodges
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Salmivalli
mesh_terms: D000339:Affect; D001364:Awareness; D002648:Child; D003469:Culture; D005260:Female; D033062:Friends / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010379:Peer Group; D010553:Personality Development; D012737:Sex Factors; D012919:Social Behavior; D012928:Social Desirability; D012963:Sociometric Techniques