Stability of continuous measures of sociometric status: a meta-analysis

A meta-analytic review was conducted of 77 studies including 93 samples and 18,339 participants that examine both the short-term and long-term stability of four continuous dimensions of sociometric status: acceptance, rejection, social preference, and peer ratings. A large mean short-term stability was found for each dimension, indicating good test-retest reliability of sociometric measurements. Weighted least square regression analysis revealed that long-term stability was influenced by four factors: children's age, gender, the length of the time interval across which stability was examined, and the year the study was published. The current study provides evidence for good reliability and high stability of continuous dimensions of peer status in childhood and adolescence. (C) 2004 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.