title: Social goals, social behavior, and social status in middle childhood.
abstract: This study examines motivational precursors of social status and the applicability of a dual-component model of social competence to middle childhood. Concurrent and longitudinal relationships between self-reported social goals (social development, demonstration-approach, demonstration-avoid goal orientations), teacher-rated prosocial and aggressive behavior, and peer nominations of social status (preference, popularity) were examined over the course of an academic year among 980 3rd- to 5th-grade children. Findings support dual-component expectations. Confirmatory factor analyses verified the expected 3-factor structure of social goals and 2-factor structure of social status. Structural equation modeling (SEM) found that (a) social development goals were associated with prosocial behavior and increased preference, and (b) demonstration-approach goals were associated with aggressive behavior and increased popularity. Demonstration-avoid goals were associated with a popularity decrease. SEMs were invariant across grade, gender, and ethnicity. Discussion concerns the potential risks of high social status, extensions to the dual-component model, and the generality of an achievement goal approach to child social development.
authors: Department of Educational Psychology, University of Illinois at Urbana, Champaign, IL 61820, USA. rodkin@illinois.edu
authors: Philip C
authors: PC
authors: Rodkin
authors: Allison M
authors: AM
authors: Ryan
authors: Rhonda
authors: R
authors: Jamison
authors: Travis
authors: T
authors: Wilson
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003625:Data Collection; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006040:Goals; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation / Q000502:physiology*; D012919:Social Behavior; D012923:Social Class; D013223:Statistics as Topic