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Biomedical subjects

W W Hartup

Publications and source records attributed to W W Hartup.

17 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2000

Imaginary companions of preschool children.

The developmental significance of preschool children's imaginary companions was examined. Mothers of 78 children were interviewed about their children's social environments and imaginary companions (if their children had them). Results revealed differences between invisible companions and personified objects (e.g., stuffed animals or dolls) in terms of the pretend friends' stability and ubiquity, identity, and relationship with the child. Relationships with invisible companions were mostly described as sociable and friendly, whereas personified objects were usually nurtured. Mothers reported that personification of objects frequently occurred as a result of acquiring a toy, whereas invisible friends were often viewed as fulfilling a need for a relationship. Compared to children without imaginary companions, children with imaginary companions were more likely to be firstborn and only children.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

The company they keep: friendships and their developmental significance.

Considerable evidence tells us that ¿being liked¿ and ¿being disliked¿ are related to social competence, but evidence concerning friendships and their developmental significance is relatively weak. The argument is advanced that the developmental implications of these relationships cannot be specified without distinguishing between having friends, the identity of one's friends, and friendship quality. Most commonly, children are differentiated from one another in diagnosis and research only according to whether or not they have friends. The evidence shows that friends provide one another with cognitive and social scaffolding that differs from what nonfriends provide, and having friends supports good outcomes across normative transitions. But predicting developmental outcome also requires knowing about the behavioral characteristics and attitudes of children's friends as well as qualitative features of these relationships.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

Conflict and friendship relations in middle childhood: behavior in a closed-field situation.

Disagreements between school-aged children were examined as a function of friendship status. 66 same-sex dyads were selected, including equal numbers of "best friends" and nonfriends, who were then observed while playing a board game (a closed-field situation). Conflicts occurred more frequently among friends than among nonfriends and lasted longer. Friends did not talk more during their conflicts than nonfriends, but assertions were used selectively according to friendship and sex: With friends, girls used assertions accompanied by rationales more frequently than boys whereas boys used assertions without rationales more frequently than girls. These sex differences were not evident during conflicts between nonfriends. Results are discussed in relation to the social constraints intrinsic to closed-field competitive conditions as they apply to friendship relations in middle childhood.

Child↗
PubMed1988

Systems and symptoms: family cohesion/adaptability and childhood behavior problems.

The relation between family systems and child symptomatology was examined among children aged 6 to 11 and adolescents aged 12 to 16 who had been referred for clinical services. On the basis of an assessment of family cohesion and adaptability, the families were divided into three groups: extreme, midrange, and balanced. Problem behaviors were assessed with a symptoms checklist, and the child's self-esteem was also measured. Families in the balanced range had children with fewer symptoms than did midrange or extreme families; this relation was less strong among families with adolescents. Self-esteem and symptoms were negatively correlated in these samples. Self-esteem did not moderate the relation between systems and symptoms but was independently related to family functioning. These results suggest the operation of bilateral processes within the family that link cohesion and adaptability, on the one hand, with low self-esteem and indications of psychopathology, on the other.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1988

Positive, negative, and neutral peer interactions as indicators of children's social competency: the issue of concurrent validity.

Many studies examining the effects of treatments for socially isolated/withdrawn children have used behavioral measures to assess children's peer relations. In an attempt to examine the concurrent validity of these measures, we observed 258 preschool children during free play and coded their interactions into the categories of positive, negative, and neutral behaviors. We also interviewed these children individually, using a sociometric nomination procedure, and asked them to indicate liked and disliked peers. Our examination of the results revealed that, consistent with other research, the correlation between the sociometric measures and the children's total rate of interaction with peers was low. In addition, measures of positive, negative, and neutral behaviors were also only weakly correlated with the children's sociometric scores. We agree with others in concluding that multiple methods of assessment are needed to properly assess the adequacy of children's peer relations.

Child↗
PubMed1988

Conflict and the friendship relations of young children.

The purpose of this investigation was to compare conflicts occurring between young children and their friends to those occurring between nonfriends. 53 children with a median age of 4 years, 3 months were observed and interviewed to determine who were mutual friends, unilateral associates, or neutral associates. 146 conflicts were also observed. Conflicts between mutual friends, as compared to those occurring between neutral associates: (a) did not occur less frequently, differ in length, or differ in the situations that instigated them, but (b) were less intense, were resolved more frequently with disengagement, and more frequently resulted in equal or partially equal outcomes. Continued socialization was also more likely following conflicts between friends. Conflicts between unilateral associates resembled those between nonfriends, although postconflict interaction resembled that between mutual friends. Conflict resolution strategies favored by friends maximize the likelihood that their interaction and their relationships will continue.

Aggression↗
PubMed1984

Peer presence and the exploratory behavior of eighteen- and thirty-month-old children.

20 18- and 20 30-month-old children were observed in a situation requiring separation from the mother in order to play with attractive toys. An agemate was present for half the children but not the others. Peer presence facilitated leaving the mother and entering the playroom at both ages. Among 18-month-olds, the presence of the peer also shortened play bouts, increased unoccupied/self-solace behavior, and increased contact maintenance with the mother. Among 30-month-olds, however, the peer's presence did not have these effects. these children engaged in increased coordinate social interaction with the other child. Developmental changes occurring in the second and third year thus include the increased salience of agemates in supporting separation from the mother and exploration of the environment in the context of sustained social interaction.

Child Development↗
PubMed1979

Rehabilitation of socially withdrawn preschool children through mixed-age and same-age socialization.

24 socially withdrawn preschool children were located through classroom observations and assigned to 3 conditions: (a) socialization with a younger child during 10 play sessions, (b) socialization with an age mate during a similar series of sessions, and (c) no treatment. The socialization sessions, particularly those with a younger partner, were found to increase the sociability of the withdrawn children in their classrooms. Significant increases occurred mainly in the rate with which positive social reinforcement was emitted. Generally, the results support a leadership deficit theory of social isolation. Possible mechanisms responsible for the observed changes are discussed.

Age Factors↗