Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2006 Mar-Apr;77(2):371-83.
doi: 10.1111/j.1467-8624.2006.00876.x.

Social information processing and coping strategies of shy/withdrawn and aggressive children: does friendship matter?

Kim B Burgess  1 , Julie C Wojslawowicz, Kenneth H Rubin, Linda Rose-Krasnor, Cathryn Booth-LaForce
Affiliations

Social information processing and coping strategies of shy/withdrawn and aggressive children: does friendship matter?

Kim B Burgess et al. Child Dev. 2006 Mar-Apr.

Abstract

The primary objectives of this investigation were to examine the attributions, emotional reactions, and coping strategies of shy/withdrawn and aggressive girls and boys and to examine whether such social cognitions differ within the relationship context of friendship. Drawn from a sample of fifth and sixth graders (M age = 10.79 years; SD = .77), 78 shy/withdrawn, 76 aggressive, and 85 control children were presented with hypothetical social situations that first involved unfamiliar peers, and then a mutual good friend. Results revealed group and gender differences and similarities, depending on the relationship context. From our findings emerges a central message: friends' involvement during interpersonal challenges or stressors mitigates children's attributions, emotions, and coping responses.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Achenbach TM, Edelbrock CS. Behavioral problems and competencies reported by parents of normal and disturbed children aged four through sixteen. Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development. 1981;46(1):82. - PubMed
    1. Asendorpf JB, van Aken MAG. Traits and relationship status: Stranger versus peer group inhibition and test intelligence versus peer group confidence as early predictors of later self-esteem. Child Development. 1994;65:1786–1798. - PubMed
    1. Bagwell CL, Newcomb AF, Bukowski WM. Preadolescent friendship and peer rejection as predictors of adult adjustment. Child Development. 1998;69(1):140–153. - PubMed
    1. Bell-Dolan DJ. Social cue interpretation of anxious children. Journal of Clinical Child Psychology. 1995;24:2–10.
    1. Bukowski WM, Hoza B, Boivin M. Measuring friendship quality during pre- and early adolescence: The development and psychometric properties of the Friendship Qualities Scale. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships. 1994;11(3):472–484.

Publication types