Peer-Referenced Assessment

Abstract

Peer-referenced assessment strategies are assessment techniques in which a child or adolescent’s social, emotional, or behavioral functioning is assessed by obtaining the perceptions of the child’s peers. One of the most common types of peer-referenced assessment is the sociometric assessment, in which the child’s acceptance in or rejection by his or her peer group is determined. We discuss sociometric techniques in more depth later in this chapter. However, sociometric assessment should not be considered synonymous with peer-referenced assessment. There are many aspects of a child’s adjustment, not just peer social status, that can be usefully assessed through the perceptions of a child’s peers. A sampling of the most common psychological domains suitable for peer-referenced assessment and the different measurement strategies are the focus of this chapter.