About the Book
This comprehensive, authoritative handbook covers the breadth of theories, methods, and empirically based findings on the ways in which children and adolescents contribute to one another's development. Leading researchers review what is known about the dynamics of peer interactions and relationships from infancy through adolescence. Topics include methods of assessing friendship and peer networks; early romantic relationships; individual differences and contextual factors in children's social and emotional competencies and behaviors; group dynamics; and the impact of peer relations on achievement, social adaptation, and mental health. Salient issues in intervention and prevention are also addressed.
Table of Contents:
I. Introduction: History and Theory 1. Critical Issues and Theoretical Viewpoints, Willard W. Hartup
2. Trends, Travails, and Turning Points in Early Research on Children’s Peer Relationships: Legacies and Lessons for Our Time?, Gary W. LaddII. Social Behaviors, Interactions, Relationships, and Groups: What Should be Measured, How, and Why? 3. Children's Behaviors and Interactions with Peers, Richard A. Fabes, Carol Lynn Martin, and Laura D. Hanish
4. Methods for Investigating Children’s Relationships with Friends, Thomas J. Berndt and Melissa A. McCandless
5. Sociometric Methods, Antonius H. N. Cillessen
6. Assessment of the Peer Group: Identifying Naturally Occurring Social Networks and Capturing Their Effects, Thomas A. Kindermann and Scott D. GestIII. Infancy and Early Childhood 7. The Beginnings of Peer Relations, Dale F. Hay, Marlene Caplan, and Alison Nash
8. Peer Interactions and Play in Early Childhood, Robert J. Coplan and Kimberley A. Arbeau
9. Social–Emotional Competence in Early Childhood, Linda Rose-Krasnor and Susanne Denham
10. Friendship in Early Childhood, Carollee Howes
11. Structural Descriptions of Social Transactions among Young Children: Affiliation and Dominance in Preschool Groups, Brian E. Vaughn and António José SantosIV. Middle Childhood and Early Adolescence 12. Friendship as Process, Function, and Outcome, William M. Bukowski, Clairneige Motzoi, and Felicia Meyer
13. The Behavioral Basis of Acceptance, Rejection, and Perceived Popularity, Steven R. Asher and Kristina L. McDonald
14. Social Exclusion in Childhood and Adolescence, Melanie Killen, Adam Rutland, and Noah Simon Jampol
15. Conflict in Peer Relationships, Brett Laursen and Gwen Pursell
16. Aggression and Peer Relationships in School-Age Children: Relational and Physical Aggression in Group and Dyadic Contexts, Nicki R. Crick, Dianna Murray-Close, Peter E. L. Marks, and Nazanin Mohajeri-Nelson
17. Avoiding and Withdrawing from the Peer Group, Kenneth H. Rubin, Julie C. Bowker, and Amy E. Kennedy
18. Bullies, Victims, and Bully–Victim Relationships in Middle Childhood and Early Adolescence, Christina Salmivalli and Kätlin Peets
19. Adolescent Romantic Relationships and Experiences, Wyndol Furman and W. Andrew Collins
20. Informal Peer Groups in Middle Childhood and Adolescence, B. Bradford Brown and Erin L. DietzV. Distal Correlates of Children’s Peer Relationships 21. Sex Differences in Peer Relationships, Amanda J. Rose and Rhiannon L. Smith
22. Race and Ethnicity in Peer Relations Research, Sandra Graham, April Z. Taylor, and Alice Y. Ho
23. Neighborhood Contexts of Peer Relationships and Groups, Håkan Stattin and Margaret Kerr
24. Peer Interactions and Relationships from a Cross-Cultural Perspective, Xinyin Chen, Janet Chung, and Celia HsiaoVI. Proximal Correlates of Children’s Social Skills and Peer Relationships 25. Genetic Factors in Children’s Peer Relations, Mara Brendgen and Michel Boivin
26. Temperament, Self-Regulation, and Peer Social Competence, Nancy Eisenberg, Julie Vaughan, and Claire Hofer
27. Child–Parent Attachment Relationships, Peer Relationships, and Peer-Group Functioning, Cathryn Booth-LaForce and Kathryn A. Kerns
28. Family Influences on Children’s Peer Relationships
Hildy Ross and Nina HoweVII. Childhood Peer Experiences and Later Adjustment 29. Peers and Academic Functioning at School, Kathryn R. Wentzel
30. Peer Reputations and Psychological Adjustment, Mitchell J. Prinstein, Diana Rancourt, John D. Guerry, and Caroline B. Browne
31. The Role of Friendship in Child and Adolescent Psychosocial Development, Frank Vitaro, Michel Boivin, and William M. BukowskiVIII. Translation and Policy 32. Deviant by Design: Peer Contagion in Development, Interventions, and Schools, Thomas J. Dishion and Timothy F. Piehler
33. Social Skills Training to Improve Peer Relations, Karen L. Bierman and C. J. Powers
About the Author :
Kenneth H. Rubin, PhD, is Professor of Human Development and Director of the Center for Children, Relationships, and Culture at the University of Maryland. His research interests include children’s peer and family relationships and their social and emotional development. Dr. Rubin is the recipient of a Killam Research Fellowship (Canada Council) and an Ontario Mental Health Senior Research Fellowship, is past president of the International Society for the Study of Behavioral Development, and has published 11 books and over 240 peer-reviewed chapters and articles. He is a Fellow of the Canadian and American Psychological Associations and the Association for Psychological Science. William M. Bukowski, PhD, is Professor and University Research Chair in the Department of Psychology at Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. He is also the Director of the interuniversity Centre for Research in Human Development, based in Quebec. His research program focuses on the factors that influence the features and effects of peer relations in early adolescence. Dr. Bukowski is past editor of the International Journal of Behavioral Development. Brett Laursen, PhD, is Professor of Psychology and Director of Graduate Training at Florida Atlantic University. His research focuses on parent-child and peer relationships during childhood and adolescence and the influence of these relationships on individual social and academic adjustment. Dr. Laursen is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association (Division 7, Developmental) and a Fellow and Charter Member of the Association for Psychological Science. He is currently editor of the Methods and Measures section of the International Journal of Behavioral Development. A Docent Professor of Social Developmental Psychology at the University of Jyväskylä, Finland, he is also a member of the Finnish Center of Excellence in Learning and Motivation Research.
Review :
"In addition to obvious interest for social and developmental psychologists and scientists, this volume is especially interesting and informative for child clinical psychologists and developmental psychopathologists. It offers an invaluable review of the state of the art with respect to theory, assessment, knowledge of peer relationships across the lifespan, and the importance of peers for emotional and behavioral adjustment. The salience of interpersonal relationships in the development of emotional and behavioral problems--especially in later childhood and adolescence--has become better recognized and studied. This timely and scholarly handbook is an essential reference for anyone working in a clinical setting with youth."--Benjamin L. Hankin, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of Denver
"This volume fills a major gap in the field by bringing together the work of leading researchers in the broad area of children’s peer relationships. It is indeed astonishing that, to date, no one handbook has reviewed the huge corpus of theoretical, historical, methodological, and substantive research on children’s friendships and peer interactions, given their centrality to children’s development from early childhood to adolescence. By emphasizing not only normative social development in dyadic and group settings, but also individual differences in social competence and social behavior--as well as the familial, neighborhood, and cultural contexts of children’s relationships with peers--this comprehensive work will prove to be an invaluable reference for researchers, scholars, and graduate students."--Susan B. Campbell, PhD, Department of Psychology; Chair, Developmental Psychology Program; University of Pittsburgh
"An indispensable resource for anyone interested in current knowledge on the role of peers in human development, from advanced undergraduate students to researchers in the area. The clear structuring of the broad content helps readers to quickly find what they are looking for and to organize their own ideas about peer relations."--Jens B. Asendorpf, PhD, Department of Psychology, Humboldt University of Berlin, Germany "Outstanding. The relationships of children and adolescents with their peers are examined with exceptional thoroughness and authority by the key researchers in the field. The focus on children's friendships is particularly timely and welcome, and illuminates connections among friends, family, and the larger networks of peers. The breadth of the topics covered and the clarity and accessibility of the writing make this book an excellent text for developmental psychology students."--Judith F. Dunn, PhD, Institute of Psychiatry, Kings College London, United Kingdom "This first-rate handbook edited by three major scholars thoroughly covers the landscape. The distinguished contributors provide detailed treatments of methodology, normative development, and individual differences from early childhood through adolescence and at multiple levels of analysis. A particular strength is the emphasis on both proximal and distal mechanisms of influence. Coverage includes normal and atypical peer relationships, with applications to academic functioning and psychological adjustment. This comprehensive volume will be an invaluable resource for researchers who study social and emotional competence, instructors who teach courses on socioemotional development, and advanced undergraduate and graduate students who are looking for concise, accessible treatments of the major topics and issues in contemporary peer relations research. It will make a great addition to my bookshelf!"--Celia A. Brownell, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh
"Truly deserving of the name 'handbook,' this volume offers a complete overview of empirical research on children's peer relations, right up to today's state-of-the-art multimodal prevention experiments. Readers will learn about the full range of methods and analytic tools for studying the broad developmental span from infancy to young adulthood. Several chapters stand out as gems."--Kenneth A. Dodge, PhD, William McDougall Professor of Public Policy and Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University
"Outstanding. The relationships of children and adolescents with their peers are examined with exceptional thoroughness and authority by the key researchers in the field. The focus on children's friendships is particularly timely and welcome, and illuminates connections among friends, family and the larger networks of peers. The breadth of the topics covered and the clarity and accessibility of the writing make this book an excellent text for developmental psychology undergraduates, graduates, and postdoctoral students. A splendid addition to the literature." - Judith F. Dunn, King's College London
"Truly deserving of the name 'handbook,' this volume offers a complete overview of empirical research on children's peer relations, right up to today's state-of-the-art multimodal prevention experiments. Readers will learn about the full range of methods and analytic tools for studying the broad developmental span from infancy to young adulthood. Several chapters stand out as gems." - Kenneth A. Dodge, William McDougall Professor of Public Policy and Director, Center for Child and Family Policy, Duke University
"A first-rate handbook edited by three major scholars.…An invaluable resource for researchers who study social and emotional competence, instructors who teach courses on socioemotional development, and advanced undergraduate and graduate students." - Celia A. Brownell, Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh
"An indispensable resource for anyone interested in current knowledge on the role of peers in human development, from advanced undergraduate students to researchers in the area. The clear structuring of the broad content helps readers to quickly find what they are looking for and to organize their own ideas about peer relations." - Jens B. Asendorpf, University of Berlin
"This volume fills a major gap in the field by bringing together the work of leading researchers in the broad area of children's peer relationships. It is indeed astonishing that, to date, no one handbook has reviewed the huge corpus of theoretical, historical, methodological, and substantive research on children's friendships and peer interactions, given their centrality to children's development from early childhood to adolescence. By emphasizing not only normative social development in dyadic and group settings, but also individual differences in social competence and social behavior - as well as the familial, neighborhood, and cultural contexts of children's relationships with peers - this comprehensive work will prove to be an invaluable reference for researchers, scholars, and graduate students." - Susan B. Campbell, University of Pittsburgh
"In addition to obvious interest for social and developmental psychologists and scientists, this volume is especially interesting and informative for child clinical psychologists and developmental psychopathologists. It offers an invaluable review of the state of the art with respect to theory, assessment, knowledge of peer relationships across the lifespan, and the importance of peers for emotional and behavioral adjustment. The salience of interpersonal relationships in the development of emotional and behavioral problems - especially in later childhood and adolescence - has become better recognized and studied. This timely and scholarly Handbook is an essential reference for anyone working in a clinical setting with youth." - Benjamin L. Hankin, Department of Psychology, University of Denver
"In 41 chapters, this volume covers a very wide range of research methods, all extremely relevant to the developmental researcher. I know of no other handbook that even comes close to being so generally useful to young developmental researchers seeking to improve their knowledge of research methods. Numerous advanced topics are also treated, in many cases, in depth making the book valuable for methodologists as well. A highly commendable feature is the discussion of each method's applicability and assumptions." - Lars R. Bergman, Department of Psychology, Stockholm University, Sweden
"The study of developmental change is a cardinal activity of behavioral and social science, but determining how to do it has prompted denial, disagreement, and despair for nearly a century. The contributors to this excellent volume are an outstanding group whose qualifications for guiding the field at this point in our history are truly stellar. Graduate students and faculty members alike will find this well-organized, highly informative volume indispensable as they articulate questions, design research, and analyze data pertaining to the study of change." - John R. Nesselroade, Hugh Scott Hamilton Professor of Psychology, University of Virginia, USA
