The current pilot study investigated the effectiveness of the Superheroes Social Skills program in decreasing disruptive and aggressive behavior of elementary-age students with high-incidence disabilities. Six students in a self-contained classroom, identified as displaying high rates of disruptive and aggressive behavior toward peers, were…

Five hundred five children (267 female) enrolled in school years 5 and 6 in the UK (M = 9 years and 9 months) completed measures of trust beliefs in peers, best friendships, ascriptions of trustworthiness, and trustworthiness toward peers. Children's social disengagement, peer preference, and peer victimization were assessed by sociometric…

This study characterized the social network roles and peer relationship features of early elementary school-age children from kindergarten to 2nd grade. Children were asked to identify who they liked and did not like to play with and peer groups who played together from their classroom. Consistent with the literature, we found similar patterns for…

This study examined the effects of two social skills interventions, Sociodramatic Affective Relational Intervention (SDARI) and Skillstreaming, to compare their treatment mechanisms, social performance- and knowledge-training. A total of 13 youth with autism spectrum disorders were randomly assigned to 4 weeks of 1-day/week SDARI or…

Grounding their efforts on results of previous research, investigators have sought to improve peer relationships of unpopular children through direct instruction in social skills. Generally, such interventions have been effective in promoting specific outcomes. For example, skill-training programs improve children's ability to form colleague…

A study assessed the social experiences and social development of kindergarten children enrolled in an after-school program. Subjects were these children and children attending only the morning kindergarten program. Study results indicated that both groups of children selected as friends the children in the after-school program and that programs…

The role of locus of control in interpersonal attraction was examined by administering 1) the Nowicki-Strickland Locus of Control Scale and 2) a sociometric test of friendship to 200 eighth graders. (CM)

Journal papers, dissertations and monographs on theory and research in sociometrics in education are cited. Forty references are examined in the areas of classroom socialization structure and skills, the stability of choices in friendship, attraction between individuals, and the relationship between learning styles and sociometry. Teacher roles in…

In a review of research on children without friends, the author notes the serious implications of growing up friendless. Issues covered include the process of identifying these children, their sociometric status and behaviors, the relation between children's status and dropping out of school, and considerations for teachers. (LB)

To specify different modes of individual children's social integration, this study examined qualitative and quantitative aspects characterizing distinct types of peer relationships. Subjects were 255 children in grades 2 through 5 of an inner-city primary school in Berlin, Germany. Subjects were individually interviewed at school about their…

Three measurements for describing different aspects of sociometric status in a longtudinal study are presented. The measurements were developed over the course of an investigation into stability and change in social positions within a school class The subjects were Swedish schoolchildren aged 10-13 years. Information about the pupils' sociometric…

This paper investigates the formation and evolution of friendship cliques among preadolescent youths. An understanding of these patterns can aid teachers in influencing social relations and the behavior of their students. Two sets of sociometric data were collected to analyze children's friendship cliques. The relationship among the variables of…