Measuring Social Status and Social Behavior with Peer and Teacher Nomination Methods

Sociometric nomination methods are used extensively to measure social status and social behaviors among children and adolescents. In the current study, the correspondence between teacher and peer nomination methods for the identification of preference and popularity was examined. Participants were 733 children in grade 5/6 (M age = 12.05 years, SD= .64; 53.3 percent boys) and their 29 teachers. Children and teachers completed nomination questions for preference, popularity, and 12 social behaviors. Results showed moderate overlap between teacher and peer nominations of social status; teachers and peers agreed on students' preference and popularity levels in 62.7 percent and 69 percent of the cases, respectively. Secondly, we examined the social behaviors (prosocial behaviors, overt and relational aggression, victimization) that teachers and peers ascribe to children at different levels of preference and popularity. Both teachers and peers made clear behavioral distinctions between low, average, and highly preferred or popular children. For preference, the behavioral profiles did not differ between teachers and peers. For popularity, no differences between teachers and peers were found in the behavioral descriptions of unpopular and average children. However, teachers and peers differed in their behavioral descriptions of popular children. Implications and directions for further research are discussed.