Sletta O, Valås H, Skaalvik E, Sobstad F
Department of Education, University of Trondheim, Dragvoll, Norway.
Br J Educ Psychol. 1996 Dec;66 ( Pt 4):431-45. doi: 10.1111/j.2044-8279.1996.tb01210.x.
Recent studies have suggested that certain behavioural characteristics in children are closely associated with peer acceptance, and that children who are not accepted by peers are more lonely than other children. The present research examines a more comprehensive pattern of relationships. In addition to behavioural characteristics, peer acceptance, and feelings of loneliness and social dissatisfaction, the study includes self-perceptions of social competence, self-esteem, and goal orientation (defensive ego-involvement). A theoretical model is presented to analyse predictive relations. The model was tested on a sample of 8th grade children (N = 96). Teacher and peer assessments of behavioural characteristics (humour, externalising, internalising and prosocial behaviour) were applied. In general, results were consistent with the proposed model. Loneliness was predicted by behavioural characteristics and low peer acceptance, and strong negative paths were found from loneliness to self-esteem and perceived social competence. Self-perceptions were not predicted by peer acceptance, and few direct paths were found from behavioural characteristics to self-perceptions. Thus loneliness has a mediating position between behaviour and peer acceptance on the one hand and self-perceptions on the other hand. This indicates that children's self-perceptions are affected by their socio-emotional reactions to peer difficulties and not directly by low peer acceptance. Strong negative paths were found from self-esteem and perceived social competence to defensive ego-involvement, which suggests that negative self-perceptions may have adverse consequences for children's goal orientations. Practical implications of the findings are discussed.
近期研究表明，儿童的某些行为特征与同伴接纳密切相关，未被同伴接纳的儿童比其他儿童更孤独。本研究考察了一种更全面的关系模式。除了行为特征、同伴接纳、孤独感和社交不满情绪外，该研究还包括社交能力的自我认知、自尊和目标导向（防御性自我投入）。提出了一个理论模型来分析预测关系。该模型在一个八年级儿童样本（N = 96）上进行了测试。应用了教师和同伴对行为特征（幽默、外化、内化和亲社会行为）的评估。总体而言，结果与所提出的模型一致。孤独感由行为特征和低同伴接纳度预测，并且发现从孤独感通向自尊和感知社交能力的路径有很强的负向性。同伴接纳度无法预测自我认知，并且从行为特征到自我认知几乎没有直接路径。因此，孤独感一方面在行为和同伴接纳之间，另一方面在自我认知之间处于中介地位。这表明儿童的自我认知受其对同伴问题的社会情感反应影响，而非直接受低同伴接纳度影响。发现从自尊和感知社交能力到防御性自我投入有很强的负向路径，这表明消极的自我认知可能对儿童的目标导向产生不利后果。讨论了研究结果的实际意义。
