Social preference choices in late elementary school: Within and across group nominations

Teacher attunement to peer-nominated aggressors

This study examined the associations between teacher attunement to aggressive students and students' characteristics in a sample (n = 278) of youth in 5th-grade classrooms with the assumption that certain student characteristics may either prime or hinder teachers' attunement to aggressive students. Teacher attunement was measured as the agreement between teacher- and peer-nominations for students who start fights. Teachers rated their students on the following characteristics: academic competence, affiliation, popularity, internalizing behavior, and Olympian qualities. Higher affiliation, popularity, and internalizing behavior were associated with decreased odds for teacher attunement to aggressive youth. Higher Olympian qualities were associated with increased odds for teacher attunement to aggressive youth. Implications for interventions are discussed. Aggr. Behav. 43:263-272, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Seeing and Being Seen: Predictors of Accurate Perceptions about Classmates' Relationships

This study examines predictors of observer accuracy (i.e. seeing) and target accuracy (i.e. being seen) in perceptions of classmates' relationships in a predominantly African American sample of 420 second through fourth graders (ages 7 - 11). Girls, children in higher grades, and children in smaller classrooms were more accurate observers. Targets (i.e. pairs of children) were more accurately observed when they occurred in smaller classrooms of higher grades and involved same-sex, high-popularity, and similar-popularity children. Moreover, relationships between pairs of girls were more accurately observed than relationships between pairs of boys. As a set, these findings suggest the importance of both observer and target characteristics for children's accurate perceptions of classroom relationships. Moreover, the substantial variation in observer accuracy and target accuracy has methodological implications for both peer-reported assessments of classroom relationships and the use of stochastic actor-based models to understand peer selection and socialization processes.

The bright side of positive perceptual bias: children's estimations of network centrality and aggression

This study explores whether findings linking positive perceptual bias to childhood aggression extend to perceptual bias in network centrality. We present data from nested regression models that examine associations between perceptual bias in network centrality and aggressive behavior in a sample of 421 urban African American second through fourth grade students. Children who overestimated their network centrality compared to peer-reports were less likely to be nominated by peers as overtly or relationally aggressive. Results run counter to threatened egotism theory, and instead support a resource control theory explanation of perceptual bias and aggression. Specifically, aggressive children may strategically limit the number of peers they report "hanging out with" to maintain social status within their peer group. Findings imply that not all forms of positive perceptual bias have a "dark side."