Semester
Spring
Date of Graduation
2006
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Type
MS
College
Eberly College of Arts and Sciences
Department
Psychology
Committee Chair
Tracy L. Morris.
Abstract
The development of strong and positive relationships early in childhood is key to later social adjustment. Many behaviors have been shown to be related to children's status among their peers, defining whether they will be seen as popular, rejected, neglected, controversial, or of average status in the child's peer group. Children who display anxious behaviors are often overlooked by their peers, while aggressive and disruptive behaviors can lead to rejection. A small proportion of students display both symptoms of anxiety and ADHD, and prior research fails to show what peer status group most represents these children, or what social interaction skills these children display in a school setting. This study investigated the peer social status of children who display anxious, ADHD, and comorbid behavioral patterns. To further understand the characteristics of these different types of children, playground observations were made to attempt to reveal the proportion of positive, negative, and solitary play exhibited by each group during freeplay interaction with peers in their school environment. Results indicated no significant difference between groups on sociometric status or freeplay behavior. Limitations and future directions are discussed.
Recommended Citation
Chorney, Daniel B., "Social status and behavioral observations of children exhibiting comorbid anxiety and ADHD symptoms" (2006). Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports. 2448.
https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/etd/2448