ABSTRACT
This study concurrently examined the relationship between adolescents' perceptions of their parents' child-rearing styles and family environment and their reports of social anxiety. Adolescents reporting higher levels of social anxiety perceived their parents as being more socially isolating, overly concerned about others' opinions, ashamed of their shyness and poor performance, and less socially active than did youth reporting lower levels of social anxiety. Parent perceptions of child-rearing styles and family environment, however, did not differ between parents of socially anxious and nonsocially anxious adolescents. Results are comparable to studies using adult retrospective reports and are discussed with regard to the role of the family environment in the development of social anxiety.
Subject(s)
Anxiety Disorders/psychology , Environment , Family/psychology , Parents/psychology , Phobic Disorders/psychology , Social Perception , Adolescent , Adult , Anxiety Disorders/diagnosis , Child , Female , Humans , Male , Phobic Disorders/diagnosis , Psychology, Adolescent , Psychology, Child , Severity of Illness Index , Surveys and QuestionnairesABSTRACT
This study tested hypotheses derived from Trower and Gilbert's (1989) model of social anxiety. Participants were 1,179 students (594 males and 585 females) in grades 6, 7, 8, 9, and 11. Participants completed the Social Anxiety Scale for Adolescents and a sociometric nomination task. Nominations from the following behavioral descriptors: most cooperative, class leader, fights the most, and easiest to push around, were used to classify students into four peer nomination groups (i.e., cooperative, friendly dominant, hostile dominant, and submissive). Results indicated that students classified as submissive reported greater social anxiety than those classified as cooperative, friendly dominant, and hostile dominant. Implications of these results for further study of the Trower and Gilbert (1989) model of social anxiety are discussed.
Subject(s)
Anxiety , Dominance-Subordination , Peer Group , Psychology, Adolescent , Adaptation, Biological , Adolescent , Aggression , Analysis of Variance , Anxiety/etiology , Anxiety/psychology , Chi-Square Distribution , Child , Cooperative Behavior , Defense Mechanisms , Factor Analysis, Statistical , Female , Humans , Interpersonal Relations , Leadership , Male , Models, Biological , Models, Psychological , Shyness , Social Behavior , Social Desirability , Social Perception , Sociometric TechniquesABSTRACT
The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between specific symptoms of depression and particular styles of peer difficulties. Participants were 1687 students in fourth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, and eleventh grades from a midsized Midwestern city. Based on previous studies, it was hypothesized that rejected and neglected youths would report greater depressive symptomatology than other peers. In addition, aggressive-rejected youth were predicted to report more Interpersonal Problems while submissive-rejected youths were expected to report more Anhedonia. There were no sociometric group differences on global scores of depression as measured by the Children's Depression Inventory; however, the aggressive- and submissive-rejected youths did report specific differences. Aggressive-rejected youths reported more Interpersonal Problems and feelings of Ineffectiveness, while the neglected and submissive-rejected youths reported more Anhedonia. Taken together, such differences provide support for differentiating among types of rejected students and suggest that different interventions may be necessary to address the needs of these youths.
Subject(s)
Depressive Disorder/diagnosis , Interpersonal Relations , Peer Group , Adolescent , Age Factors , Analysis of Variance , Child , Depressive Disorder/epidemiology , Female , Humans , Male , Personality Inventory/statistics & numerical data , Psychology, Adolescent , Psychology, Child , Rejection, Psychology , Sex Factors , Social Adjustment , Sociometric TechniquesABSTRACT
Examined the relation between sociometric nominations and social anxiety in adolescence. Participants were 973 students (473 boys and 500 girls) in Grades 6, 7, 8, and 9. Students completed the Social Anxiety Scale for Adolescents and a sociometric nomination task that included the following behavioral descriptors: liked most, liked least, starts fights the most, best sense of humor, class leader, easiest to push around, and most cooperative. Sociometric nominations were used to classify students into standard sociometric status groups (i.e., popular, average, rejected, neglected, and controversial) as well as into rejected subgroups (aggressive rejected and submissive rejected). Results indicated that students classified as rejected and neglected reported more social anxiety than those classified as average, popular, or controversial. In addition, submissive rejected students reported significantly more social anxiety than did aggressive rejected or average students. Implications of these results for assessment and treatment of adolescents with peer problems are discussed.
Subject(s)
Anxiety/psychology , Interpersonal Relations , Peer Group , Psychology, Adolescent , Psychology, Child , Rejection, Psychology , Social Behavior , Adolescent , Aggression , Analysis of Variance , Chi-Square Distribution , Child , Cross-Sectional Studies , Dominance-Subordination , Female , Humans , Male , Sociometric TechniquesABSTRACT
This article reviews current strategies for assessing social skills with peers in childhood, highlighting contemporary unresolved issues in identifying children who need intervention, selecting target behaviors, and assessing treatment outcome. Sociometric measures of peer acceptance are also considered. Although many current measures of social skills have adequate evidence of reliability and convergent validity, assessment could benefit from (a) increased documentation that the content of measures assesses important skills in relating to peers, (b) improved methods for assessing social behavior in specific interpersonal situations, and (c) more empirical evidence that indirect assessment methods (self-report, peer assessment, and teacher report) and analogue observations reflect in vivo behavior.
Subject(s)
Child Behavior Disorders/diagnosis , Peer Group , Social Adjustment , Social Behavior , Behavior Therapy , Child , Child Behavior Disorders/therapy , Child, Preschool , Female , Humans , Interpersonal Relations , Male , Personality Assessment , Personality Development , Psychometrics , Role Playing , Social EnvironmentABSTRACT
Undergraduate students were surveyed about their sexual behavior and contraceptive behavior. In addition, measures of their self-esteem, knowledge about contraception, communication with their dating partners, communication about sexual matters with their sexual partners, and sexual anxiety were taken. Consistent with Byrne's (1983) model of effective contraception, it was found that general and sexual communication with one's partner were significant predictors of contraception use. Directional, but statistically weak, support was obtained for the predictions that knowledge about contraception and sexual anxiety would be related to contraception use. No support was found for the prediction that general self-esteem would be associated with contraceptive behavior.
PIP: This paper reports findings of a survey of the sexual and contraceptive behavior of US male and female undergraduate students; measures of self-esteem, knowledge about contraception, communication with dating partners, communication about sexual matters with their sexual partners, and sexual anxiety are also compiled. Byrne's 5 step model outlining the effective contraception behavior sequence includes: 1) acquisition of accurate contraceptive information, 2) acknowledgment of likely sexual intercourse, 3) obtaining contraceptive devices, 4) communication with one's partner about contraception, and 5) using the chosen method of contraception. Results of the survey measured sexual behavior by 4 measures: 1) age at 1st intercourse, 2) number of partners, 3) total number of conditions for intercourse, and 4) total number of sexual acts participated in. The 2 measures of contraception calculated were: 1) percentage of time subjects estimated that they used contraception when they engaged in sexual intercourse, and 2) percentage of times subjects used each contraceptive method, multiplied by the average effectiveness rating for that method. The general communication level with the partner is the best predictor of contraceptive behavior for male subjects. For females, sexual communication with one's partner is the best predictor of contraceptive behavior. Overall, sexual communication and sexual anxiety are related to many of the sexual behavior measures for both sexes. Results provide partial support for some of the Byrne model steps for understanding effective cotnraception behavior among college students. The 4th step, communicating with one's partner, received the greatest amount of support. Discussing contraception and low sexual anxiety are positively related to contraception use, but these correlations were weak. Self-esteem was found to be a poor predictor of contraceptive behavior. Sexual behavior, including contraceptive behavior is influenced by many divergent sources; this may help explain the problem of increasing numbers of unwanted pregnancies.
