Abstract
The development of impulsive-aggressive problem behavior and peer rejection was examined in sixty 4- to 5-year-old boys from low-income family backgrounds. Children's sociometric status and behavioral adjustment were assessed longitudinally at the beginning and end of the preschool year, and related to measures of peer interaction at three different points in time. Boys identified as socially rejected and aggressive in the beginning of the year were highly likely to be identified as such at the end of the year. Early in the preschool year, these children contributed to their own rejection by initiating socially aversive exchanges with peers. Although peers clearly perceived these problems, they did not reciprocate with counteraggression at first. However, as time passed, peers began to actively victimize these children, and most of the aggression on the part of victims became reactive in nature. Thus, the current findings strongly support a transactional model of the development of early peer rejection and conduct problems.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Asher, S. R., & Dodge, K. A. (1986). Identifying children who are rejected by their peers.Developmental Psychology, 22, 444–449.
Asarnow, J. R. (1983). Children with peer adjustment problems: Sequential and nonsequential analyses of school behaviors.Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 51, 709–717.
Bates, J. E. (1987). Temperament in infancy. In J. D. Osofsky (Ed.),Handbook of infant development (2nd ed., pp. 1101–1149). New York: Wiley.
Campbell, J. D., & Yarrow, M. R. (1961). Perceptual and behavioral correlates of social effectiveness.Sociometry, 24, 1–20.
Campbell, S. B., Breaux, A. M., Ewing, L. J., & Szumowski, E. K. (1986). Correlates and predictors of hyperactivity and aggression: A longitudinal study of parent-referred problem preschoolers.Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 14, 217–234.
Carlson, C. L., Lahey, B. B., & Neeper, R. (1984). Peer assessment of the social behaviors of accepted, rejected, and neglected children.Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 12, 187–198.
Cantrell, V. L., & Prinz, R. J. (1985). Multiple predictors of rejected, neglected, and accepted children: Relations between sociometric status and behavioral characteristics.Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 53, 884–889.
Coie, J., & Dodge, K. A. (1983). Continuities and changes in children's social status: A five-year longitudinal study.Merril-Palmer Quarterly, 29, 261–282.
Coie, J., Kuperschmidt, J. B. (1983). A behavioral analysis of emerging social status in boys' groups.Child Development, 54, 1400–1416.
Crowther, J. H., Bond, L. A., & Rolf, J. E. (1981). The incidence, prevalence, and severity of behavior disorders among preschool-aged children in daycare.Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 9, 23–42.
Cummings, E., Ianotti, R. J., & Zahn-Waxler, C. (1989). Aggression between peers in early childhood: Individual continuity and developmental change.Child Development, 60(4), 887–895.
Dodge, K. A. (1983). Behavioral antecedents of peer social status.Child Development, 54, 1386–1399.
Dodge, K. A., & Coie, J. D. (1987). Social-information processing factors in reactive and proactive aggression in children's groups.Journal of Social and Personality Psychology, 53, 1146–1158.
Dodge, K. A., Murphy, R. R., & Buchsbaum, K. (1984). The assessment of intention-cue detection skills in children: Implications for developmental psychopathology.Child Development, 55, 163–173.
Goyette, C. H., Conners, C. K., & Ulrich, R. F. (1978). Normative data on revised parent and teachers rating scales.Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 6, 221–236.
Ladd, G., Price, J. M., & Hart, C. H. (1986). Predicting preschoolers' peer status from their playground behaviors.Child Development, 59(4), 986–992.
Ladd, G. W., & Price, J. P. (1987). Predicting children's social and school adjustment following the transition from preschool to kindergarten.Child Development, 58, 1168–1187.
Leiter, M. P. (1977). A study of reciprocity in preschool play groups.Child Development, 48, 1288–1298.
Milich, R., & Landau, S. (1982). Socialization and peer relations in hyperactive children. In K. D. Gadow and I. Bialer (Eds.),Advances in learning and behavior disabilities. Greenwich, CT: JAI Press.
Milich, R., Landau, S., Kilby, G., & Whitten, P. (1982). Preschool peer perceptions of the behavior of hyperactive and aggressive children.Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 10, 497–510.
Olson, S. L., & Lifgren, K. (1988). Concurrent and longitudinal correlates of preschool peer sociometrics: Comparing rating scale and nomination measures.Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 9, 409–420.
Olweus, D. (1979). Stability of aggressive reaction patterns in males: A review.Psychological Bulletin, 86, 852–875.
Parker, J. G., & Asher, S. A. (1987). Peer relations and later personal adjustment: Are low-accepted children at risk?Psychological Bulletin, 102, 357–389.
Patterson, G. R. (1976). The aggressive child: Victim and architect of a coersive system. In L. A. Hamerlynck, L. C. Handy, & E. J. Mash (Eds.),Behavior modification and families. New York: Brunner/Mazel.
Patterson, G. R. (1982).Coercive family process: A social learning approach (Vol. 3). Eugene, OR: Castalia.
Patterson, G. R., DeBarsyshe, B. D., & Ramsey, E. (1989). A developmental perspective on antisocial behavior.American Psychologist, 44(2), 329–335.
Patterson, G. R., Littman, R. A., & Bricker, W. (1967). Assertive behavior in children: A step toward a theory of aggression.Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development, 113(5). 113.
Pelham, W. E., & Bender, M. E. (19882). Peer interactions of hyperactive children: Assessment and treatment. In K. D. Gadow and I. Bialer (Eds.),Advances in learning and behavior difficulties. Greenwich, CT: JAI Press.
Putallaz, M. (1983). Predicting children's sociometric status from their behaviors.Child Development, 54, 1417–1426.
Rose, S. L., Rose, S. A., & Feldman, J. F. (1989). Stability of behavior problems in very young children.Development and Psychology, 1, 5–19.
Rubin, K. A., & Clark, M. L. (1983). Preschool teachers' ratings of behavioral problems: Observational, sociometric, and social-cognitive correlates.Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 11, 273–286.
Rutter, M., & Garmezy, N. (1983). Developmental psychopathology. In E. M. Hetherington (Ed.),Carmichael's manual of child psychology: Vol. 4. Social and personality development (pp. 775–912). New York: Wiley.
Shantz, D. (1986). Conflict, aggression, and peer status: An observational study.Child Development, 57, 1322–1332.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
The author is indebted to the Head Start teachers, children, and parents who participated, and to the following individuals for their invaluable help with data collection and coding: Margo Bonner, Beth O'Connell, Cindy Friedman, Elizabeth Jamner, Karen Lifgren, Marina Post, Jacqueline Raznick, Lisa Walsh, and Karen Weitzner.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Olson, S.L. Development of conduct problems and peer rejection in preschool children: A social systems analysis. J Abnorm Child Psychol 20, 327–350 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00916696
Revised:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00916696