The construct of moral disengagement has increasingly been used by researchers to account for the asymmetry between children's moral reasoning and their moral behavior. According to this theory, moral disengagement occurs most aptly when children are motivated to violate their moral beliefs, such as when they hold antisocial goals during social…

An accruing body of evidence supports associations between self-perceived gender typicality and peer relationship difficulties; however, researchers have yet to evaluate peers' perceptions of problem behaviors to gain insight into the social correlates of gender typicality. A short-term longitudinal study was conducted to evaluate associations…

Investigates the relation between preschoolers' peer behavior and status during a school year by exploring whether early behaviors predict changes in peer status and vice versa. Results support the hypothesis that children's behaviors contribute to their social status among peers. (RJC)

When coached in leading peers, asking questions of peers, making comments to peers, and supporting peers, trained children showed significant increase in their use of comments and leads and improved in questions and supports, whereas controls showed little change. Increases in skill use in the classroom with peers was correlated with improvements…

Findings provide tentative support for the hypothesis that strategy information derived from enactive interviews is more predictive of children's behavior in peer situations than is information derived from the verbal interview method. This suggests that preschool children automatically access cognitive scripts for behavior in social interactions.…

Presents various concepts and principles presently being used to develop social skills training methods for children from a cognitive-social learning perspective. Identifies skill deficits that may lead to later social difficulties and suggests methods to remediate each type of deficit. (AOS)

Used an ecological-system perspective to consider socially isolated children in three contexts: as individuals, as partners in dyadic intervention, and as members of a social group or hierarchy. Implications for interventions that may facilitate isolated children's access to peer interaction in both dyadic and group contexts are suggested.…

Examined relations between kindergartners' behavioral orientations and features of kindergartners' subsequent relationship with first-grade teacher. Found that unique associations emerged between early antisocial behavior and less closeness; greater conflict and dependency; and asocial behavior and teacher-child dependency. Prosocial behavior was…

The purpose of this study was to see if a social learning method for training verbal social skills might influence the social effectiveness of third grade children with low peer acceptance. Children were trained in three verbal skills: asking questions of peers; leading peers (e.g., offering useful suggestions or directions); and, offering…