Interpersonal strategy, attachment security and social status among Chinese children in the initial period of secondary school

Abstract

This study examined the influences of peer interpersonal strategy and secure attachment on social status in peer contexts in the initial period of secondary school in China. Two hundred and thirty-one new students in secondary schools (grade 6) were recruited in the first semester to complete measures of interpersonal strategies in the peer group, secure attachment to mother, social dominance, and sociometric nomination. The results indicated that both prosocial strategies and attachment security were positively correlated with social dominance and peer preference in peer group, whereas the coercive strategies were not correlated with social status. Implications and limitations of findings were discussed.