Affiliative Subgroups in Preschool Classrooms: Integrating Constructs and Methods from Social Ethology and Sociometric Traditions

Recent studies of school-age children and adolescents have used social network analyses to characterize selection and socialization aspects of peer groups. Fewer network studies have been reported for preschool classrooms and many of those have focused on structural descriptions of peer networks, and/or, on selection processes rather than on social functions of subgroup membership. In this study we started by identifying and describing different types of affiliative subgroups (HMP- high mutual proximity, LMP- low mutual proximity, and ungrouped children) in a sample of 240 Portuguese preschool children using nearest neighbor observations. Next, we used additional behavioral observations and sociometric data to show that HMP and LMP subgroups are functionally distinct: HMP subgroups appear to reflect friendship relations, whereas LMP subgroups appear to reflect common social goals, but without strong, within-subgroup dyadic ties. Finally, we examined the longitudinal implications of subgroup membership and show that children classified as HMP in consecutive years had more reciprocated friendships than did children whose subgroup classification changed from LMP or ungrouped to HMP. These results extend previous findings reported for North American peer groups

Affiliative Subgroups in Preschool Classrooms: Integrating Constructs and Methods from Social Ethology and Sociometric Traditions

Recent studies of school-age children and adolescents have used social network analyses to characterize selection and socialization aspects of peer groups. Fewer network studies have been reported for preschool classrooms and many of those have focused on structural descriptions of peer networks, and/or, on selection processes rather than on social functions of subgroup membership. In this study we started by identifying and describing different types of affiliative subgroups (HMP- high mutual proximity, LMP- low mutual proximity, and ungrouped children) in a sample of 240 Portuguese preschool children using nearest neighbor observations. Next, we used additional behavioral observations and sociometric data to show that HMP and LMP subgroups are functionally distinct: HMP subgroups appear to reflect friendship relations, whereas LMP subgroups appear to reflect common social goals, but without strong, within-subgroup dyadic ties. Finally, we examined the longitudinal implications of subgroup membership and show that children classified as HMP in consecutive years had more reciprocated friendships than did children whose subgroup classification changed from LMP or ungrouped to HMP. These results extend previous findings reported for North American peer groups

L’influence du réseau affiliatif sur la répartition de l’attention sociale chez l’enfant en groupe préscolaire

Cette étude examine les variations dans l'allocation de l'attention sociale, en fonction des rôles sociaux des enfants d'âge préscolaire dans le réseau affiliatif de leur groupe. Les observations ont été réalisées auprès d'enfants de cinq ans, en automne, en hiver et au printemps de l'année scolaire en utilisant la technique du "voisin le plus proche". Les résultats révèlent de forts biais endogroupes dans la répartition de l'attention interpersonnelle. Des analyses complémentaires explorent les préférences des enfants pour des partenaires spécifiques et documentent la stratification des unités affiliatives. Les cliques de plus haut statut reçoivent comparativement plus l'attention des membres des autres sous-groupes d'affiliation. Ces résultats sont discutés par rapport à l'émergence des compétences sociales qui facilitent l'intégration des enfants dans le groupe préscolaire.This study examined changes in the allocation of social attention as a function of children's roles within the affiliative network of the preschool play group during the school year. Affiliative group structures were derived using a nearest neighbor data collected in the Fall, Winter and Spring sessions in a five-year old play group. Indices of allocation of attention revealed a strong endo-group bias throughout the school year. Secondary analyses examined the stratification of affiliative units in terms of children's preferences for particular playmates. Findings indicate that higher status cliques received a disproportionate amount of attention from other group members. Results are discussed in term of interactive strategies related to emerging social competence that promote individual integration within the peer group. It is argued that children who fail to develop these strategies may be at risk for peer rejection or peer neglect.Este estudio examina las variaciones en la reparticion de la atencion social en funcion de los roles sociales de los ninos de edad preescolar dentro de los grupos de afiliacion. Las obsevaciones han sido realizadas en ninos de cinco anos, en otono, en invierno y en la primavera del ano escolar, utilizando la técnica del "vecino mas cercano". Los resultados revelan fuertes desvios intragrupos en la reparticion de la atencion interpersonal. Analisis complementarios exploran las preferencias de los ninos por companeros especfficos y documentan la estratificacion de las unidades de afiliacion. Las pandillas consideradas con mayor status reciben comparativamente mas atencion de los miembros de los otros subgrupos de afiliacion. Estos resultados son discutidos en relacion a la emergencia de las competencias sociales que facilitan la integracion de los ninos en el grupo prescolar.Diese Studie untersucht die verschiedenen Varianten in der Zuwendung der Aufmerksamkeit im Hinblick auf die sozialen Rollen von Vorschulkindern im Rahmen ihrer Gruppenbindungen. Beobachtet wurden Kinder im Alter von funf Jahren jeweils im Herbst, Winter und Fiïihjahr des Vorschuljahres nach dem Kriterium des "besten Freundes". Aus den Ergebnissen geht hervor, dass es in der Verteilung der interpersonellen Aufmerksamkeit starke gruppeninterne Bewegungen gibt. In zusàtzlichen Analysen wurden die Vorlieben der Kinder fur bestimmte Partner sowie die Schichtung der Unter-gruppen untersucht und dokumentiert. Die Cliquen mit dem hôchsten Status erhalten von den Mitgliedern anderer Untergruppen vergleichsweise viel Aufmerksamkeit. Die Ergebnisse werden in Beziehung gesetzt zur Herausbildung sozialer Fahigkeiten, welche die Integration der Kinder in die Vorschulgruppe erleichtern

Changing perspectives on marijuana use during early adolescence and young adulthood: Evidence from a panel of cross-sectional surveys

Introduction. Prior research has often overlooked potential cohort differences in marijuana views and use across adolescence and young adulthood. To begin to address this gap, we conduct an exploratory examination of marijuana views and use among American youth using a panel of cross-sectional surveys. Method. Findings are based on repeated, cross-sectional data collected annually from adolescents (ages 12-17; n = 230,452) and young adults (ages 18-21; n = 120,588) surveyed as part of the National Survey on Drug Use and Health between 2002 and 2014. For each of the birth years between 1986 and 1996, we combined a series of nationally representative cross-sections to provide multi-year data strings designed to approximate nationally representative cohorts. Results. Compared to youth born in the mid-to-late 1980s, youth born in the mid-1990s reported significantly higher levels of marijuana disapproval during the early adolescent years (Age 14: 1988 = 64.7%, 1994 = 70.4%) but lower levels of disapproval during the young adult years (Age 19: 1988 = 32.0%, 1994 = 25.0%; Age 20: 1988 = 27.9%, 1994 = 19.7%). Moreover, the prevalence of marijuana use among youth born in 1994 was significantly lower—compared to youth born in 1988—at age 14 (1988: 11.39%, 1994: 8.19%) and significantly higher at age 18 (1988: 29.67%, 1994: 34.83%). This pattern held even when adjusting for potential confounding by demographic changes in the population across the study period. Conclusions. We see evidence of changes in the perceptions of marijuana use among youth born during the late twentieth century.2018-01-0

Characteristics associated with US Walk to School programs

Participation in Walk to School (WTS) programs has grown substantially in the US since its inception; however, no attempt has been made to systematically describe program use or factors associated with implementation of environment/policy changes

Specifying social structures in preschool classrooms: descriptive and functional distinctions between affiliative subgroups

Preschool children attending Head Start programs (N=586, 296 boys and 290 girls, between 3 and 5 years of age, over 95% African–American) were observed to determine physical proximity to peers as well as rates of visual attention given and received. Sociometric data were used to derive peer acceptance scores, peer friendships, and sociometric status classifications. Three subgroup types (high mutual proximity (HMP), lower mutual proximity (LMP), and ungrouped children) were identified through complete linkage hierarchical clustering and chi-square procedures from the proximity data. HMP subgroups tended to be larger, to have higher sociometric acceptance scores, and children in these subgroups had more reciprocated friendships than was true for the other subgroup types. Significant within-group preferences and out-group biases were observed for both HMP and LMP subgroups using measures of visual attention and sociometric choice data, but these were more marked for HMP subgroups. Results are consistent with previous ethological studies of affiliative structures in preschool classrooms and also show that methods of data collection and analysis from social ethology and child psychology research traditions are mutually informing

Envolvimento paterno e organização dos comportamentos de base segura das crianças em famílias portuguesas

Estuda-se, numa amostra de famílias bi-parentais, em que as mães trabalham a tempo inteiro, e as crianças frequentam cuidados não-maternos, várias horas por dia, o envolvimento paterno nas actividades de organização/cuidados (Práticas) e de brincadeira/lazer (Lúdicas). Analisam-se, os correlatos (variáveis socio-demográficas) e as consequências da participação paterna, ao nível da organização dos comportamentos de base segura da criança, com o pai e a mãe. Os participantes são 44 díades mãe/criança e pai/criança, tendo as crianças em média 31.91 meses (DP=2.56). Aplicou-se, a ambos os pais (separadamente), um questionário que avalia o envolvimento parental (Monteiro, Veríssimo, Castro, & Oliveira, 2006), e utilizou-se o Attachment Behavior Q-Set (Waters, 1995) na análise das relações de base segura. Os resultados indicam que é quase sempre a mãe a realizar as Tarefas Práticas e que tanto a mãe como o pai participam nas Actividades Lúdicas. A participação dos pais, nas Actividades Práticas, está significativamente correlacionada com o modo como a criança organiza os seus comportamentos de base segura, na relação com o progenitor, enquanto que, nas Actividades Lúdicas este valor é marginalmente significativo. Apenas a participação paterna, nas Actividades Lúdicas, se encontra significativamente correlacionada com o valor de segurança da criança na relação com a mãe. Nesta amostra a quantidade do envolvimento paterno tem consequências positivas para o desenvolvimento sócio-emocional da criança

Use of Salvia divinorum in a Nationally Representative Sample

http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/85730/1/Salvia.pd