Longitudinal relationships between children's popularity and social behaviors: the effects of friendship network structures and teacher's knowledge of classroom peer ecologies

This study investigated the effects of classroom friendship network structures (density and centralization) and teacher knowledge of children’s peer ecology (peer groups, aggression, and peer status) in their classrooms on longitudinal relationships between social behaviors and popularity. Longitudinal multilevel analyses with two-time points (fall and spring) were conducted on a sample of 901 fourth- and fifth-graders from 46 classrooms. At the individual level, prior aggression was a positive predictor of later perceived popularity, and prosociality increasingly affected social preference over time. Density increased the mean level of perceived popularity and social preference, and teacher knowledge of aggression increased the mean level of social preference. However, teacher knowledge of peer status decreased the mean level of perceived popularity over time. The perceived popularity of aggressive students varied greatly acorss classrooms. Aggressive students increased their perceived popularity over time in classroooms with low friendship density and low teacher knowledge of aggression. The social preference of aggressive and prosocial students was also moderated by friendship density and teacher knowledge of peer status, respectively. Implicatons for classroom management are discussed.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Educational Psychology

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2011

Author dc:creator

• Ahn, Hai-Jeong

Contributors dc:contributor

• Rodkin, Philip C.
• Anderson, Carolyn J.
• Espelage, Dorothy L.
• Gest, Scott D.
• Ryan, Allison M.

• Popularity
• Aggression
• Prosociality
• Friendship Network Structures
• Teacher Knowledge of Peer Ecology
• Multilevel Analysis

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2011 Hai-Jeong Ahn

Language dc:language

en

Handle dc:identifier

http://hdl.handle.net/2142/26122

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/26122