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Anxious Solitude Across Contexts: Girls' Interactions With Familiar and Unfamiliar Peers
Author(s) -
Gazelle Heidi,
Putallaz Martha,
Li Yan,
Grimes Christina L.,
Kupersmidt Janis B.,
Coie John D.
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
child development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.103
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1467-8624
pISSN - 0009-3920
DOI - 10.1111/j.1467-8624.2005.00841.x
Subject(s) - psychology , situational ethics , developmental psychology , normative , social psychology , context (archaeology) , peer group , social relation , solitude , paleontology , philosophy , epistemology , psychiatry , biology
Cross‐situational continuity and change in anxious solitary girls' behavior and peer relations were examined in interactions with familiar versus unfamiliar playmates. Fourth‐grade girls ( N =209, M age=9.77 years, half African American, half European American) were identified as anxious solitary or behaviorally normative using observed and teacher‐reported behavior among classmates. Subsequently, girls participated in 1‐hr play groups containing 5 same‐race familiar or unfamiliar girls for 5 consecutive days. Results support both cross‐situational continuity and change in anxious solitary girls' behavior and peer relations. Although anxious solitary girls exhibited difficulty interacting with both familiar and unfamiliar playmates relative to behaviorally normative girls, elements of their behavior improved in unfamiliar play groups, a context in which they received less peer mistreatment.