Examining relations among accuracy of social self-perceptions, reactive and proactive aggression, peer intimacy, and peer group integration in early adolescence

• Main Author: Vergel de Dios, Maria Celina
• Language: English
• Published: 2010
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/2429/18315

The purpose of the present study was to examine the relations among accuracy of social self-perceptions, reactive and proactive aggression, peer intimacy and peer group integration for boys and girls in early adolescence. Participants included 335 boys (n = 175) and girls (n = 160) in the fifth through seventh grades. Teachers rated students on reactive and proactive aggression. Self- and peer nominations on a range of social behaviours (prosocial and noncompliant) were collected. Participants provided self-ratings of their peer intimacy and peer group integration. Results revealed that girls had lower reactive aggression, greater peer intimacy, and more accurate social self-perceptions on both prosocial and noncompliant behaviours compared to boys. Findings additionally indicated that inaccurate self-perceptions of one’s noncompliant behaviours were related to both reactive and proactive aggression for boys and girls. However, among boys only, more accurate self-perceptions of their prosocial behaviours was linked to problematic peer experiences involving higher proactive aggression and less peer intimacy. === Education, Faculty of === Educational and Counselling Psychology, and Special Education (ECPS), Department of === Graduate