Interpersonal relations in children

Preschoolers are likely to share with a child who has
previously shared with them; whether they reciprocate to the
child who shared or simply model the other's actions was
investigated. 133 children were observed twice with a samesex
classmate. The target child's partner was given a snack
and allowed 2 min in which to eat or share, then the
situation was reversed. The recipient in the second episode
was either the previous partner or a new child. Boys shared
more snacks, if they had been shared to, regardless of the
identity of the recipient suggesting a modeling effect.
Girls shared more snacks when the potential recipient was
the girl who had shared with them previously suggesting a
reciprocity effect. Neither modeling nor reciprocation
alone are sufficient explanations for increased sharing
after exposure to sharing. Both prior actions and identity
of the recipient need to be considered.

Given the diverse and substantial developmental outcomes associated with low peer acceptance, it is important to research its potential predictors. However, the developmental antecedents are not likely restricted to simple, one-lagged links within the same domain. Rather, peer status may stem from a developmental sequence of effects across several domains, particularly across those that develop at the same time and in the same environment as peer status. A developmental cascade model is best used to capture sequential changes over time, across multiple domains, and during sensitive periods of development Academic motivation and achievement likely exemplify predictors that would affect peer status sequentially over time during the early primary school years. This study examined the developmental cascade of task avoidance, academic achievement, and peer acceptance using a sample of 545 (311 boys, 234 girls) Finnish students in the 1st through 4th grade (M = 7.67, SD = 0.31 years old at the outset).

This study examines whether aggression and prosocial behavior shape changes in
perceptions of friendship quality within stable reciprocal best friend dyads. A
longitudinal Actor-Partner Interdependence Model was used to investigate whether
individual characteristics predict changes 6 to 12 weeks later in perceptions of
relationship support and negativity. The sample included 76 same-sex dyads drawn from
classrooms in grades 4 (M = 9.48 years) through 6 (M= 11.43 years) in two public
schools in the United States.

This study examined the consequences of self-image failure among narcissistic children. It was hypothesized that narcissistic children who perceive themselves as falling short of their hoped-for grandiose self (e.g., whose self-esteem is low) would not only increase over time in general aggression and decrease prosocial behavior, but also increase in the tendency to direct aggression specifically toward more socially successful peers (i.e., their putative rivals for social status). Participants were 195 (101 boys) fourth through seventh-graders who were tested in both the fall and the spring of a school year. Results yielded some support for the hypotheses. Narcissism combined with low self-appraisals of the real self to predict decreases in prosocial behavior and increased aggression toward popular and attractive peers. These findings not only provide longitudinal evidence for the self-image failure hypothesis but also underscore the importance of a target-specific approach to investigating children's aggression.

This study examined how narcissism affects preadolescent children's choices of peer targets for aggression. Based on the idea that narcissists have a grandiose sense of self that requires nourishment, we hypothesized that narcissistic children are especially likely to attack peers who threaten, or fail to nourish, their grandiose self. We assessed narcissism and the degree to which each child's aggression toward peers depended on (a) the child's perceived liking by each peer, (b) the child's liking of each peer, (c) each peer's actual liking of the child, and (d) the child's perceived similarity to each peer. Participants were 197 children in the fourth through eighth grades at a university school. Narcissism predicted the four types of target-specific aggression in disparate ways for boys and girls. Narcissistic boys were especially likely to direct aggression toward male peers whom (a) they perceived as disliking them, (b) they disliked, and (c) they perceived as dissimilar to themselves. Narcissistic girls were especially likely to attack female peers whom they perceived as similar to themselves. Narcissism may enhance different motives for boys and girls in same-sex peer relatinships. We propose that narcissism enhances investment in status and rivalry amoung girls while enhancing the motive to attack dissimilar peers among boys.

Objectives: This study documented events contributing to historical trauma among American Indian mission boarding school survivors, described residual effects of that trauma, and verified the Dream Catcher-Medicine Wheel model as a culturally appropriate tool that enhanced storytelling. Research Design and Methods: Nine women from two Upper Plains tribes were located through snowball sampling and participant referrals. A descriptive exploratory qualitative approach facilitated them in relating their survival stories. Seven were tape-recorded and two were hand-written on the Dream Catcher-Medicine Wheel, a model specifically designed for this study; this, combined with traditional spiritual grounding ceremonies, enhanced perspective for researcher and participants alike. Data Analysis: Liehr and Smith's (2008) Story Theory guided the methodology in the data gathering and analysis process using the Dream Catcher-Medicine Wheel combined with taped and written storytelling sessions. Major themes were categorized and supported with interview quotes through inductive analysis of the two research questions: What were the health challenges faced by survivors of American Indian mission boarding schools over time?, and, How have American Indian mission boarding school survivors resolved the health challenges they have faced over time? The first theme, subdivided into Breaking and Silencing of Spirit, examined physical, mental, and sexual abuse. The second theme, Survival of Spirit, examined relationships/parenting, coping/substance abuse, and spirituality. Findings: The seven dimensions described in Lowe and Struthers' (2001) Nursing in Native American Culture Conceptual Framework provided the value structure used for interpretation of findings. Implications for practice and research were related to the seven dimensions as culturally appropriate parameters for nursing.