The Peer Informant: Characteristics Related to the Perceptions of Peer Behavior Problems

    Authors

    B. A. M. Lauer;K. Renk

    Comments

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    Abbreviated Journal Title

    Appl. Phys. A-Mater. Sci. Process.

    Keywords

    Cross-informant ratings; Peers; Adolescents; Behavior ratings; EMOTIONALLY-DISTURBED PEERS; PARENT-ADOLESCENT AGREEMENT; CHILDHOOD; DEPRESSION; CHILDRENS PERCEPTIONS; SOCIOECONOMIC-STATUS; GENDER-DIFFERENCES; SOCIOMETRIC STATUS; ANXIETY DISORDERS; MIDDLE-CHILDHOOD; AGE-DIFFERENCES; Family Studies; Psychology, Developmental; Psychiatry

    Abstract

    Victimization and rejection by peers leads to and exacerbates behavior problems in children and adolescents. Given the implications of problematic peer relations for adolescents who experience behavior problems, the present study examined factors that may be related to how adolescents perceive peers who exhibit such problems. Specifically, the present study examined the relationship of adolescent informants' socioeconomic status, their prior exposure to psychological symptoms, their perceived social acceptance, and their own behavior problems to their perceptions of peers' internalizing and externalizing behavior problems, their liking and disliking of peers who exhibit such problems, and their attributions for the etiology of such problems when portrayed by fictitious peers of the same age. In particular, adolescents were asked to rate a set of vignettes portraying internalizing and externalizing behavior problems that are seen commonly in peers and to complete a set of brief questionnaires. Results revealed that adolescents were able to perceive the presence of both internalizing and externalizing behavior problems in vignette characters. Additionally, vignette characters who did not exhibit behavior problems were most likely to be approached and liked, whereas those vignette characters who displayed externalizing behavior problems were more likely to be disliked and ignored. Finally, although adolescents endorsed both internal and external etiological factors, ratings were related to the sex of the depicted vignette character and the nature of the portrayed behavior problems. Overall, this study provided additional evidence that, although adolescents can serve as valuable informants, they also tended to be rejecting of peers who display behavior problems.

    Journal Title

    Journal of Child and Family Studies

    Volume

    J. Child Fam. Stud.

    Issue/Number

    6

    Publication Date

    1-1-2013

    Document Type

    Article

    Language

    English

    First Page

    786

    Last Page

    800

    WOS Identifier

    22

    ISSN

    1062-1024

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