Changing Peer Perceptions

Abstract

A variety of factors have been shown to be influential in teacher-student relationships; both labels and behaviors have been investigated with regard to their biasing effects within special education. The purpose of this study was to ascertain the extent to which fourth-grade children's ratings of a peer would be differentially affected by categorical labels and assigned attributes. An analysis of the results suggested that positive attributes produced favorable peer ratings when compared with neutral ones. The results are discussed with regard to implications for altering the differential effects often observed in teacher-pupil relationships.