Abstract

In early adolescence, social standing within peer relationships becomes a priority to achieve, above and beyond other developmental milestones. Social standing can be conceptualized by both acceptance (i.e., likeability) and popularity (i.e., social prestige, social power, and/or social visibility). The aim of this dissertation was to investigate the methodological considerations that could enhance our assessment and understanding of social constructs in pre-adolescent peer groups in two cross-cultural longitudinal studies. Self-report and sociometric data were collected among fifth and sixth grade students from Canada and Colombia. Study 1 provided empirical support for the utilization of the burst design methodology to yield a more stable and reliable measure of acceptance in comparison to a single data-wave collection while utilizing sociometric assessments. The second study emphasized popularity as a social construct in pre-adolescence. This was done by examining how antisocial and prosocial behaviours at the level of the individual predicted popularity while also examining how these associations vary as a function of normative and cultural characteristics of the peer group. Findings from Study 2 emphasized the utility of a multi-level framework for assessing status within a peer group context while also highlighting the importance of considering both cultural and normative peer group norms when studying social constructs. These studies highlight important methodological considerations in both data collection and data analysis that researchers should consider when studying social constructs in pre-adolescent peer groups.