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Correlates of adult and child perceptions of social competency

Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology volume 13, pages 129–141 (1985)Cite this article

Abstract

In this study, the relationship between two commonly used measures of social competency, peer ratings of perceived status and adult ratings of assertiveness, were examined. In Phase I, high and low sociometric status children were videotaped responding to a series of role-play scenes; performance on these scenes was then rated retrospectively by adults for overall assertiveness. In Phase II, a second group of children who were unfamiliar with the videotaped children observed the taped scenes and provided ratings of likability, intelligence, working together, and attractiveness. In general, results revealed that children and adults differed in their ratings of the videotaped children. Further, boys used different cues in their ratings than did girls. More specifically, the sociometric status of girls was related to perceived attractiveness, whereas the sociometric status of boys was more closely related to perceived intelligence. Such findings suggest that children and adults look for and use different cues in their judgments. Given these differences, it is concluded that child and adult ratings should not be used interchangeably in the assessment of, and evaluation of, social competency in children.

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Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia, 24061

    Thomas H. Ollendick & Greta Francis

Authors
  1. Thomas H. Ollendick
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  2. Greta Francis
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  3. Kathleen J. Hart
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Additional information

Portions of this research were supported by a grant from the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services.

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Ollendick, T.H., Francis, G. & Hart, K.J. Correlates of adult and child perceptions of social competency. J Abnorm Child Psychol 13, 129–141 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00918377

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00918377

Keywords

  • Adult Rating
  • Social Skill
  • Social Skill Training
  • Sociometric Status
  • Family Behavior Therapy