CFS138 s.5 (Exam 3)

Peer Relationships

Peers as a Developmental Context

• Peers are on equal power footing & help children practice negotiation, cooperation, & conflict resolution

Why Peers Matter

• Peers support:

  • Emotion regulation

  • Perspective-taking

  • Rule-following

  • Social problem solving

Friendship

• A dyadic, reciprocal, intimate relationship between 2 children

Friendship Under Age 2

• Based on physical proximity & parallel play

Friendship Ages 2–4

• Based on shared activities & cooperative pretend play

Friendship in Early School Years

• Based on shared interests, trust, & kindness

Benefits of Friendships

• Companionship

• Emotional support

• Help

• Stress buffering

Long-Term Benefit of Friendships

• Close 5th-grade friendships predict better adult relationships & adjustment

Risk of Friendships

• Aggressive friends increase a child’s own aggression through deviant peer influence

Solitary Play

• Child plays alone, unaware of others

Onlooker Play

• Child watches others play but does not join

Parallel Play

• Children play side-by-side with similar toys but do not interact

Associative Play

• Children interact & share materials but play is not fully coordinated

Cooperative Play

• Children organize roles, rules, & shared goals in play (most advanced)

Cliques

• Small groups of children who interact regularly & share similarities

Crowds

• Larger peer groups defined by stereotypes & reputation

Functions of Cliques

• Belonging

• Identity

• Companionship

  • But can promote deviant behavior

Clique Development with Age

• Same-sex → mixed-sex

• Unstable → stable

• Conformity → autonomy

Sociometric Status

• How well a child is liked or disliked by peers

Sociometric Measurement

• Peer nominations (“like most/least”) & rating scales

Popular Children

• Many positive, few negative nominations

  • Prosocial, cooperative, confident

Rejected Children

• Many negative nominations

  • Aggressive, disruptive, or withdrawn

Neglected Children

• Few positive & few negative nominations

  • Socially unnoticed

Controversial Children

• Many positive & many negative nominations

  • Prosocial but aggressive

Average Children

• Moderate ratings with no extreme reactions

Why Children Are Popular

• Physical attractiveness

• Good social skills

• Emotion regulation

Peer Rejection Consequences

• Loneliness

• Depression

• Anxiety

• School dropout

• Antisocial behavior

Social Withdrawal Consequences

• Loneliness

• Anxiety

• Lower adult success

Stability of Sociometric Status

• Rejected status is most stable over time

Cultural Differences in Status

• Prosocial behavior liked across cultures

• Response to shyness differs

Play-Group Studies

• Children placed in groups

  • Behaviors predict later peer status

Popular in Play Groups

• Helpful

• Cooperative

• Group-focused

Rejected in Play Groups

• Hostile

• Bossy

• Disruptive

Neglected in Play Groups

• Quiet

• Withdrawn

• Low interaction

Sibling Relationships

• More intense conflict

• Power imbalance

• Long-term bond

Peer Relationships

• Equal power

• Higher cooperation

• Greater emotional regulation demands