Predicting Preschoolers' Peer Status from Their Playground Behaviors

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relation between preschoolers' peer behavior and status over a school year by exploring whether early behaviors predicted changes in peer status or vice versa. Children's playground behaviors and peer status were assessed at 3 times during the school year (fall, winter, and spring). Analysis of the behavioral antecedents of status produced some findings that were consistent with those reported for grade school samples. Higher levels of cooperative play at the outset of the school year predicted gains in peer acceptance by the end of the year. Arguing forecasted increases in peer rejection at both the middle and end of the school year. In contrast, early peer status was not found to be predictive of changes in preschoolers' later social or nonsocial behavior. These findings are interpreted in light of past research on children's peer behavior and status.