Affect-congruent social-cognitive evaluations and behaviors

: Peets K, Salmivalli C, Hodges EVE

Publisher: BLACKWELL PUBLISHING

: 2008

Child Development

CHILD DEVELOPMENT

: CHILD DEV

: 79

: 1

: 170

: 185

: 16

: 0009-3920

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8624.2007.01118.x

This study examined whether the affect children feel toward peers would influence children's social-cognitive evaluations and behaviors. The sample consisted of 209 fifth-grade children (11- to 12-year-olds; 119 boys and 90 girls). For each child, 3 target peers (liked, disliked, and neutral) were identified via a sociometric nomination procedure. The names of the targets were then inserted into hypothetical vignettes in which the target peer's behavior had a negative consequence for the child. After each vignette, questions about intent, outcome expectations, and self-efficacy beliefs were asked. In addition, self-reports regarding relationship-specific proactive and reactive aggression and regarding victimization were collected. The results demonstrate that children social-cognitively differentiate between the relationship types and that relationship-specific evaluations are associated with relationship-specific behaviors.