The purpose of this study was to ascertain the amount of peer influence elementary school students exert on each other during an assigned drawing task. Further, the purpose was to determine the relationship of peer influence to other factors: sex, grade level, artistic prestige, and social prestige.Five major questions involving elementary school age peers were under investigation. Hypotheses were developed to determine whether significant relationships existed during an assigned drawing task between peer influence and (1) pairs of boys, pairs of girls, and opposite sex pairs, (2) same sex pairs and opposite sex pairs, (3) peers at various grade levels, (4) artistic prestige, and (5) social prestige.The sample of this study consisted of 656 elementary school students. The subjects ranged from kindergarten through sixth grade and were representative of elementary school students of Mankato, Minnesota.The data used were collected from the sample by involving the subjects in two drawing sessions and, with the exception of the kindergarten subjects, one short session used in the execution of a sociogram. The drawings were judged for Quality Scale scores and peer influence scores. These scores were recorded along with sociogram information, indicating artistic and social prestige, and personal data.Analysis of variance was computed along with subsequent t tests to determine the relationships between peer influence and boy pairs, girl pairs, and opposite sex pairs. To test the significance of statistics pertinent to the relationship of peer influence to same sex pairs and opposite sex pairs, t tests were employed.The relationship between peer influence and grade level was subjected to analysis of variance along with follow-up t tests. Statistics indicating the relationship between peer influence and artistic and social prestige were reported by correlation coefficients.A significant relationship was found between peer influence and sex pairing. Further relationships of significance were found between peer influence and pairs of boys with pairs of girls, and boy pairs with opposite sex pairs. The relationship between pairs of girls and opposite sex pairs did not reach a level of significance.The amount of peer influence which same sex pairs exerted was found to be significantly greater than that exerted by opposite sex pairs. There was also found to be a significant relationship between grade level and peer influence, with peer influence diminishing in intensity from kindergarten through grade six. Statistics reporting the relationship between peer influence and artistic prestige indicated a positive significant relationship while the statistics reporting the relationship between peer influence and social prestige were not significant.With reference to the findings of this study, the ensuing conclusions relative to peer influence investigation in this research are drawn. Pairs of elementary school age boys are more likely to be influenced by each other in the performance of a task than are pairs of elementary school age girls. Opposite sex pairs are still less influenced by each other than are boy pairs or girl pairs.Subjects whose peers consider them high in artistic prestige exert more peer influence during art activities than subjects who are not so rated by peers. Subjects who are high in social prestige are not significantly influential during the same art activity. The present study also concludes that the influence of elementary school age peers need not accelerate with age but can diminish in intensity from kindergarten through sixth grade.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:BSU/oai:cardinalscholar.bsu.edu:handle/176287 |
| Date | January 1973 |
| Creators | Gaarder, Larry E. |
| Contributors | Reeves, Daniel J. |
| Source Sets | Ball State University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Format | vi, 155 leaves : ill. ; 28 cm. |
| Source | Virtual Press |
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