Hongling Xie

Aggressive Behaviors in Social Interaction and Developmental Adaptation: A Narrative Analysis of Interpersonal Conflicts During Early Adolescence

Using conflict narratives reported by adolescents in grade 7 (mean age = 13.4 years), this study investigated the interactional properties and developmental functions of four types of aggressive behaviors: social aggression, direct relational aggression, physical aggression, and verbal aggression. A total of 475 participants from the Carolina Longitudinal Study (Cairns & Cairns, 1994) were included. Results showed that the majority of conflict interactions involved more than a dyad. The use of social aggression (e.g., concealed social attack) was associated with more individuals involved in the conflict. Social aggression was primarily reported as an initiating behavior for interpersonal conflicts, while direct relational aggression was a responding behavior. Medium to high levels of reciprocity were found for physical, verbal, and direct relational aggression, whereas a low level of reciprocity was reported for social aggression. School authorities were most likely to intervene in physical aggression. The use of social aggression was associated with higher network centrality among adolescents. Developmental maladjustment in late adolescence and early adulthood was primarily predicted by physical aggression.

Identifying Children's Peer Social Networks in School Classrooms: Links Between Peer Reports and Observed Interactions

Links between peer reports of social cluster membership and observed classroom interactions were examined in a sample of 72 children in 4th grade and 7th grade. All participating children in each classroom identified as many social clusters in the classroom as they could recall. Using the social-cognitive map (SCM) procedure, these individual reports were aggregated to summarize the number of times a given child was nominated as being in the same social cluster as each of his or her classmates (i.e., a co-nomination profile) and to identify the classmates in each childs social cluster. Extensive classroom observations allowed for a parallel summary of the number of times a given child was observed to interact with each of his or her classmates (i.e., an interaction profile). Results indicated that correlations between conomination profiles and interaction profiles were positive and statistically reliable. Children were observed to interact with members of their SCM-identified social cluster at a rate four times higher than with other same-sex classmates. These effects did not vary reliably by grade, sex or aggressive risk status.

Different forms of aggression among inner-city African–American children: Gender, configurations, and school social networks

Using narrative reports of peer conflicts among a sample of African–American children and adolescents from inner-city schools, this study investigated the development and social functions of four types of aggressive behaviors: social, direct relational, physical, and verbal aggression. A total of 489 participants in grades 1, 4, and 7 were interviewed (220 boys and 269 girls). Results showed that low levels of social aggression and high levels of physical aggression were reported in peer conflicts. Gender differences on social, direct relational, and physical aggression were primarily observed in the comparisons of same-gender conflicts at grade 7. Distinct configurations were identified across different forms of aggression. Boys with configurations of physical and/or verbal aggression had higher levels of school social network centrality than non-aggressive boys. Girls with configurations of social and/or direct relational aggression showed relatively higher levels of network centrality than non-aggressive girls.

Paths across Generations: Academic Competence and Aggressive Behaviors in Young Mothers and Their Children.

This research compared the social and cognitive development of young mothers when they were children with the social and cognitive development of their offspring. Intergenerational development was investigated over a 17-year period for 57 women who had been studied longitudinally from childhood to adulthood and who became young mothers (R. B. Cairns & B. D. Cairns, 1994). The children of these women, in turn, were followed prospectively from 1 to 2 years old through the early school years. The academic competence of mothers when they were children was significantly linked to the academic competence of their children at school age. In contrast, the across-generation correlations between measures of aggressive behavior of the mothers when they were children and measures of aggressive behavior of their children in early school grades were modest and unreliable. Certain within-generation continuities were observed in both cognitive and aggressive development.

Predicting Teen Motherhood and Teen Fatherhood: Individual Characteristics and Peer Affiliations.

In a longitudinal investigation of the antecedents and pathways of teen parenthood 475 participants (248 females and 227 males) were followed from Grade 7 through early adulthood. In the first year of the investigation homogeneous subgroups were identified by clustering participants on five characteristics (i.e. aggression popularity academic competence age and socioeconomic status). At the same time peer social networks were identified by the Social Cognitive Map procedure. For each participant the configuration of peer characteristics was also identified. A high correspondence was found between the individual characteristics and the characteristics of closely affiliated peers. Both teen fatherhood and teen motherhood were predicted by individual configurations and peer configurations (e.g. a combination of high aggression low academic competence low popularity and low family SES). Peer characteristics race and family socioeconomic status assumed unique roles in predicting teen motherhood. Growth curve analyses showed that teen-mothers differed from non-mothers in their starting points and developmental trajectories. This study demonstrated that a simultaneous examination of both the individual and his/her peer context yielded important information on teen parenthood. (authors)

Developmental trajectories of aggression from late childhood through adolescence: Similarities and differences across gender

Although numerous investigations of overt aggressive and antisocial trajectories have been undertaken, there is a dearth of literature examining gender differences and similarities in trajectory patterns and their correlates. To address these gaps, we investigated gender differences in the prevalence rates, predictive validity during transition to adulthood, childhood risk factors, and adolescent correlates of different trajectories of teacher-reported overt aggression (i.e., fights, argues, gets in trouble) among 220 participants (116 girls and 104 boys) evaluated annually from grade 4 to grade 12. Four patterns of trajectories were identified: low, increasing (i.e., adolescent-onset), decreasing (i.e., childhood-limited), and high (i.e., childhood-onset). A large proportion of youth, particularly girls, displayed low levels of aggression over time. A small proportion followed the childhood-onset trajectory. Across gender, the childhood-onset trajectory was associated with the highest rates of maladjustment during the transition to adulthood, the highest number of childhood risk factors, and multiple problems during adolescence. The adolescent-onset trajectory was associated with few childhood risk factors, but with high levels of independent status during adolescence. In contrast, the childhood-limited trajectory was associated with several childhood risk factors, but high levels of parental monitoring and school engagement during adolescence. Romantic involvement differentiated the adolescent-onset and childhood-limited trajectories among girls.

Through a looking glass or a hall of mirrors? Self-ratings and teacher-ratings of academic competence over development

To determine the properties, functions, and developmental validities of self-ratings and teacher-ratings, evaluations of academic competence (i.e. ratings of spelling and math) were obtained in two longitudinal cohorts [i.e. 4th-12th grade (N = 220) across 9 annual test waves; 7th-12th grade (N = 475) across 6 annual test waves]. Logistic regressions and path analyses indicated that teacher-ratings consistently yielded more robust predictions of subsequent academic attainment than self-ratings. Moreover, there was an apparent self-enhancement, with mean self-ratings significantly higher than mean teacher-ratings at most age levels. Correlations between teacher-ratings of spelling and math were robust, whereas the correlations between self-ratings in these domains were small and unreliable. These findings—replicated across cohorts, gender, academic domains, and grades—were interpreted in terms of the functions served by self- and teacher-ratings.

Chinese and American children’s perceptions of popularity determinants: Cultural differences and behavioral correlates

The present study aimed to investigate cultural construction of children’s perceptions of popularity determinants using a cross-cultural approach. This study examined 327 Chinese and 312 American fifth-graders’ perceptions of what individual characteristics and peer relationships would make a peer popular. Consistent with cultural emphases, Chinese children primarily endorsed prosocial behaviors and academic competence and perceived opposite gender interactions unfavorably. In contrast, American children endorsed more social connections, appearance and opposite gender interactions. Compared with American children, Chinese children perceived antisocial behaviors more unfavorably. For both cultural groups, children’s popularity status and behavioral characteristics, as measured by peer nominations, related to their perceptions of popularity determinants. Discussions regarding cultural implications of these findings are provided.

Gender Similarities and Differences in Preadolescent Peer Groups: Group Structure and Ethnic Diversity

The Social Cognitive Mapping procedure was used to identify peer social groups in 26 fifth-grade classrooms from six elementary schools in a northeastern urban school district. Four group structural features were examined: size, the number of subcliques, cohesion, and salience hierarchy. Ethnic diversity index was calculated for each group. An ethnically diverse sample of 318 fifth-grade students participated in the study, and 80 peer groups were included in the analyses. No gender difference was found in group size, cohesion, salience hierarchy, or ethnic diversity. Reliable gender differences were found in the number of subcliques within a group and in the individual child’s involvement in any subclique, with higher levels for girls than for boys. However, the overall prevalence of subcliques was low. The findings highlighted strong similarities across the two genders and contradicted the predictions made by traditional sexual-selection theory. Group features varied by status, indicating significant within-gender variations.

Popular and Nonpopular Subtypes of Physically Aggressive Preadolescents: Continuity of Aggression and Peer Mechanisms During the Transition to Middle School

Using peer nominations of physical aggression and perceived popularity in the spring semester of fifth grade, we identified 54 popular aggressive and 42 nonpopular aggressive preadolescents in a diverse sample of 318 participants recruited from an urban school district. Physical aggression in the spring semester of sixth grade was included to determine the developmental continuity of aggression in these two subtypes. The popular aggressive subtype showed higher levels of aggression at sixth grade than did the nonpopular subtype. Popularity during the transition to middle school mediated the subtype differences in sixth-grade physical aggression, whereas affiliation with aggressive peers at fifth grade did not mediate the subtype differences. For the nonpopular aggressive subtype, affiliation with popular-aggressive peers helped maintain high levels of physical aggression in sixth grade. These results suggest that future prevention and intervention efforts should give special attention to different subtypes of aggressive youth and the peer social dynamics associated with high social status.