The purpose of this study was to compare the peer relationships of highly gifted and highly gifted-highly creative primary students in a gifted classroom of a public school. The study was conducted using thirty-one highly gifted first, second, and third graders who had scores of 140 or better on the WISC-R, WPPSI, or Otis-Lennon. At the beginning of the school year, the Creativity Assessment Packet was administered to the class. The top 20 percent scorers in the class (termed gifted-creative) and those who scored in the bottom 20 percent of the class (termed gifted) on the CAP were targeted for observation. In addition, a sociogram was administered to each student individually for the purpose of determining each child's social status. A bivariate correlation coefficient was employed to express the degree of any relationship between creativity scores and rankings on the class sociogram. Observational anecdotes were used in the discussion of the sociometric results. The following findings resulted from the study. The gifted-creative students, as a group, ranked higher on a class sociogram on measures of friendship and choice of academic work partners than did the gifted group. On sociometric measures of choice of creative work partners, there was no significant difference. During observations, the gifted students displayed approximately the same amount of positive verbal behaviors as the gifted-creative students. The gifted students did exhibit more isolated behavior, especially during academic tasks, than.did their gifted creative counterparts. The gifted-creative group displayed much more verbal and physical aggression than the gifted group. This report concludes that in the gifted classroom under investigation, gifted-creative and gifted pupils differ in their peer relationships thus supporting findings documented in past research. However, information from the sociogram seemed to suggest that the gifted-creative students, as a group, achieved higher social status within this gifted classroom than the gifted students.

The purpose of the present study was to examine the relations among Taiwanese elementary school children's effortful control, social relationships and their adjustment at school. Data were gathered on 407 third- to sixth-grade children (81 third graders, 79 fourth graders, 116 fifth graders, and 131 sixth graders) attending three low- to middle-class public elementary schools in Taipei County, Taiwan. Participating children as well as their parents, teachers, and peers provided questionnaire and peer sociometric data. Two main research questions were addressed: a) whether there were direct relations among children's effortful control, social relationships, and adjustment at school; b) whether social relationships mediate the relations between children's effortful control and their adjustment at school. Additionally, two alternative models were tested to evaluate the likelihood of other conceptual considerations. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze the data and examine the direct and meditational relations among the study constructs. As expectation, findings of this study provided illuminating evidence for the direct effects of effortful control on children's adjustment at school. Moreover, the role of teacher-child relationships as a mediator in the pathways from effortful control to children's adjustment at school (i.e., social behavior, school attitudes, and academic adjustment) was strongly supported. Consistent with the hypotheses, the meditational effects of peer relationships were also clearly supported in the pathways from effortful control to social behavior as well as school attitudes. However, inconsistent with the hypothesis, there is no evidence of mediating effect of peer relationships by which effortful control contribute to academic adjustment. Finally, to compare with the alternative models, the hypothesized model was ranked as the best fit model to the given data. In general, the current study suggested that children's self-regulatory capabilities (i.e., effortful control) influence their adjustment at school both directly and indirectly through their relationships with teachers and peers. It contributes to the literature of children's school adjustment by examining the effects of both dispositional self-regulation and social relationships. It is also one of the first studies to examine how teacher-child relationships and peer relationships are linked to multiple aspects of children's adjustment at school. For practical implications, it is critical to provide parents, caregivers, and teachers with specific strategies and techniques to support the development of effortful control. The findings of the study also call for a need to develop preventive interventions or training programs focusing on the development of positive classroom relationships.

There is no current research on the relationship between texting frequency, social competency development, and the moderating effect of gender in adolescents. A quantitative study involving a moderation design using multiple regression assisted in determining the relationship between cell phone texting and gender and whether or not the interaction of these variables predicted social competency development. The theoretical base that grounded this study was the taxonomic model of social competence, which identified the importance of examining social awareness abilities such as communication, an essential component for the development of social competency. The study included 74 participants. The participants were parents who completed observation checklists of their adolescent children and reported on skills related to social competency development using the Social Emotional Assets and Resilience Scales-Parent Form. A general measure of cell phone use was also reported by participants. The results showed that frequency of texting and gender predicted adolescent social competency. Adolescents who texted frequently had lower social competency scores. Adolescent females had higher social competency than adolescent males. Gender was not found to moderate the relationship between the variables. The results can be used to development curricula, programs, and screening tools for counseling psychologists and other professionals to use to improve the lives of adolescents.

The purpose of this study was to explore the role of peers in women's lived experiences in their bodies from childhood to young adulthood. The present study used a qualitative life history methodology to delineate the range of peer processes, both adverse and protective, that affect women's connection to their bodies over time, as well as the meaning women make of these processes, and their internalized reactions to peer influences across a developmental trajectory. In-depth interviews were conducted among fourteen women between the ages of 25 and 35, representing diverse social and cultural backgrounds, as well as current and past eating and body image problems. Women participated in open-ended interviews, using a series of guided questions about their experiences with peers that affected their lived experiences in their bodies, from childhood through to adulthood. Interviews were transcribed and analyzed for themes using a grounded theory methodology. Two interrelated models emerged from the data that clarified ways in which relationships with peers shaped interviewed women's lived experiences in their bodies over time. The Peer Processes Related to Dominant and Alternative Norms, Ideals and Expectations Model addresses peer processes related to the promotion of dominant and alternative norms, ideals and expectations regarding appearance and ways of inhabiting the body as girls and women. The Implications of Peer Processes on Social Power and Acceptance model delineates the ways in which widely sanctioned norms, ideals and expectations pertaining to participants' bodies and appearances, are expressed and internalized through concerns for peer status, power, belonging and acceptance. The research has both clinical and research implications, shedding important light on the ways in which peers enhance, maintain and disrupt girls' and women's connection to their bodies over time.

The purpose of this study was to explore the role of peers in women's lived experiences in their bodies from childhood to young adulthood. The present study used a qualitative life history methodology to delineate the range of peer processes, both adverse and protective, that affect women's connection to their bodies over time, as well as the meaning women make of these processes, and their internalized reactions to peer influences across a developmental trajectory. In-depth interviews were conducted among fourteen women between the ages of 25 and 35, representing diverse social and cultural backgrounds, as well as current and past eating and body image problems. Women participated in open-ended interviews, using a series of guided questions about their experiences with peers that affected their lived experiences in their bodies, from childhood through to adulthood. Interviews were transcribed and analyzed for themes using a grounded theory methodology. Two interrelated models emerged from the data that clarified ways in which relationships with peers shaped interviewed women's lived experiences in their bodies over time. The Peer Processes Related to Dominant and Alternative Norms, Ideals and Expectations Model addresses peer processes related to the promotion of dominant and alternative norms, ideals and expectations regarding appearance and ways of inhabiting the body as girls and women. The Implications of Peer Processes on Social Power and Acceptance model delineates the ways in which widely sanctioned norms, ideals and expectations pertaining to participants' bodies and appearances, are expressed and internalized through concerns for peer status, power, belonging and acceptance. The research has both clinical and research implications, shedding important light on the ways in which peers enhance, maintain and disrupt girls' and women's connection to their bodies over time.

Sammanfattning Syftet med detta examensarbete var att undersöka hur samt vilka språkstrategier barnen använder i sina sociala interaktioner med andra barn och hur dessa språkstrategier påverkar deras kamratrelationer. För att möjliggöra uppnåendet av syftet studerades barnens interaktioner utifrån tre frågeställningar som fokuserade på barnens språkstrategier för att inbjuda, utesluta eller förhandla med kamrater i lek. Undersökningen bedrevs utifrån det sociokulturella perspektivet, då det verbala språket och interaktion med andra barn ses som nödvändigt för barns lärande och utveckling inom detta perspektiv. Denna studie genomfördes med deltagande observation som metod då barnens handlingar och interaktioner behövde studeras i deras dagliga miljö, som är förskolan. Jag valde deltagande observation som metod eftersom jag ville delta och befinna mig nära barnen i förskolan för att undersöka och skapa mig en bild av barnens verklighet. Dessa observationer genomfördes med fältanteckningar där jag kontinuerligt skrev ner barnens handlingar och uttalande i löpande text. Resultatet visade att barnen har en oerhörd kontroll och medvetenhet kring språk och vilka språkstrategier som ska användas när och hur. På denna förskola och i denna barngrupp upptäcktes åtta språkstrategier som barnen använde för att inbjuda, utesluta eller förhandla med kamrater under lek. Dessa språkstrategier synliggjorde även hur barnens kamratrelationer påverkades på olika sätt, beroende på om språkstrategin uteslöt, inbjöd eller rörde sig om förhandling i interaktionerna. / Abstract The aim of this thesis was to investigate how and which language strategies children used in their social interactions with other children and how these language strategies affected their peer relationships. In order to enable achievement of the aim of this thesis was the study on children’s interactions based on three questions that focused on children´s language strategies to invite, exclude or negotiate with peers during play. The study was based on the socio- cultural perspective, because verbal language and interaction with other children is seen as essential for children´s learning and development in this perspective. This study was implemented with participant observation as method because the children´s actions and interactions needed to be studied in their daily environment, which is the preschool. The choice of participant observation as method was made because I wanted to participate in the children´s interactions and be near the children in the preschool, to investigate my aim and create a picture of the children´s reality. These observations were carried out with field notes where I constantly wrote down the children´s actions and statements in running text. The results of the study showed that the children have a tremendous control and awareness about language and which language strategies to use when and how. In this preschool and in this group of children eight language strategies was discovered that the children used to invite, exclude or negotiate with peers during play. These language strategies made visible even how children´s peer relationships were affected in different ways, depending on whether the language strategy excluded, invited or was about negotiation during the interactions.

This research studies friendship relationships in institutionalized children according to friendship’s quality and reciprocity. The participants were 33 institutionalized children (boys and girls), whose age range was 8 to 10. The control group consisted of 41 noninstitutionalized children with similar characteristics. Results show that institutionalized children have less reciprocal friendships than non-institutionalized children. Institutionalized children give more support and share the ir intimate experienc es in their reciprocal friendships than non-institutionalized children. Moreover, friendship quality of non-reciprocal friendships in the institutionalized group is almost equivalent to reciprocal and non-reciprocal friendships in the non-institutionalized one. This evidence shows that the majority of institutionalized children establish friendship bonds with similar characteristics, as do other children of the same age range. / El estudio evalúa las relaciones de amistad en niños institucionalizados en términos de su calidad y reciprocidad. Los participantes fueron 33 niños institucionalizados de ambos sexos entre 8 y 10 años. El grupo control estuvo constituido por 41 niños no institucionalizados con características similares. Se encontró que los niños institucionalizados establecen menos amistades recíprocas que los niños no institucionalizados y que en  estas relaciones se brindan más apoyo y comparten sus experiencias íntimas de modo más intenso. Igualmente, la calidad de las amistades no recíprocas de este grupo es casi equivalente a la de las amistades recíprocas y no recíprocas del grupo no institucionalizado. Esto indicaría que la mayoría de niños institucionalizados establece en general amistades con calidad similar a las de otros niños del mismo grupo de edad.

Syftet med denna studie är att få elevernas perspektiv på hur eleverna upplever kam- ratrelationerna samt hur lärare i fritidshem bör arbeta med detta på fritidshemmet. Vi har genomfört intervjuer med tolv elever på två olika fritidshem där eleverna gick i årskurs 3. Dessa intervjuer syftar till att försöka förstå elevernas egna uppfatt- ningar och studien utgår därmed från ett hermeneutiskt perspektiv. Vi har valt att analysera med hjälp av fyra teoretiska begrepp: sociala krav, kamratrelationer, hand- lingsrepertoar och autonomi. Resultatet visar att eleverna på fritidshemmen upple- ver kamratrelationerna på både gott och ont. Att alltid ha någon att umgås med på fritidshemmet är en fördel som kamratrelationerna för med sig enligt eleverna. Den yttersta svårigheten med kamratrelationerna på fritidshemmet är att veta vem man ska välja att umgås med när man har flera alternativ. Resultatet visar även att ele- verna vill att lärare i fritidshem ska stötta eleverna i deras arbete med kamratrelat- ionerna på olika sätt. Vilket sätt som är aktuellt är beroende på situation och elev. Många elever väljer att sluta på fritidshemmet i tidig ålder och i vissa fall väljer de inskrivna eleverna att cykla hem. I diskussionen tar vi upp eventuella anledningar till att detta inträffar. Vi öppnar även upp för nya sätt att se på fritidshemmets verk- samhet och vad lärare i fritidshem bör tänka på.

Relational aggression includes manipulative behaviors such as gossiping, spreading rumors, or practicing exclusion to intentionally destroy a peer's social reputation. Aggressive behaviors such as those found in relational aggression contribute to unsafe school environments. Research on relational aggression has increased in recent years, yet there is minimal research on relational aggression among African American adolescent females. The research questions were What is social workers' understanding of relational aggression? and How do social workers' cultural awareness and general understanding of African American females' relationships and interpersonal connections impact their ability to connect with their clients in the therapeutic relationship? The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore social workers' perceptions of relational aggression and African American females' social relationships and assess the impact of social workers' perceptions on their ability to connect with clients and provide effective therapeutic services. Relational cultural theory constituted the study's theoretical framework. Data were collected using a qualitative online synchronous focus group with six social workers who provide therapeutic services to female African American teenagers in the school setting. Purposeful sampling was used to determine the number of participants. Thematic analysis was used to identify common themes from interview data. Findings from this study revealed a mischaracterization of relational aggression in relation to bullying. The findings also revealed that social worker's cultural awareness and general understanding of African American females assisted them in being able to connect with the subpopulation in the therapeutic relationship.

No description available.