Teacher-Classified Peer Social Status: Preliminary Validation and Associations with Behavior Ratings

Abstract

This study investigated whether teacher ratings may be a valid alternative measure of social status in elementary school children, and whether teacher social status ratings are distinct from their disruptive behavior ratings. Participants were 1,596 elementary school children in seven schools in eastern Canada. Teacher ratings of social status and of disruptive behavior were collected for all children, along with positive peer nominations for a large subset. Results showed that children rated by teachers as rejected and ignored received the fewest positive peer nominations, whereas children rated as popular received the most positive nominations. Analyses of covariance showed that inattention was more highly associated with peer problems than was hyperactive-impulsive, oppositional, or conduct problems, but none of these behaviors accounted for the association between teacher-rated social status and peer positive nominations. Results provide preliminary support for the validity of teacher-rated social status in elementary-aged children.