Behavioral correlates of the peer sociometric status of elementary students

An exploratory field investigation was conducted to determine the behavioral variables which most accurately discriminated between high and low sociometric status elementary students. A peer rating sociometric was administered in seven fourth-grade and fifth-grade classrooms. Students were classified as either high or low sociometric status subjects on the basis of ratings received from same sex peers. Observations of behavior were collected in academic and nonacademic settings over a period of six to nine weeks. A retest sociometric was administered after all behavioral observations were made.

The data were analyzed using a discriminant analysis procedure to determine the linear combination of behavioral variables which best differentiated between high and low sociometric status students. The results indicated that high and low status subjects behaved differently and that behavioral differences varied between academic and nonacademic settings. A general measure of social interaction did not discriminate between high and low status students in either setting. The rate of peer physical approaches was the most powerful discriminator in both academic and nonacademic settings.

The results showed that behaviors selected for training as social skills need to be empirically validated in specific settings. A behavior which is a critical social behavior in one type of setting may not have any clinical value in another type of setting.