ERIC Number: EJ1079360
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2015-Nov
Pages: 9
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0012-1649
EISSN: N/A
Early Social Fear in Relation to Play with an Unfamiliar Peer: Actor and Partner Effects
Walker, Olga L.; Degnan, Kathryn A.; Fox, Nathan A.; Henderson, Heather A.
Developmental Psychology, v51 n11 p1588-1596 Nov 2015
The purpose of this study was to examine the associations between maternal reports of social fear at 24 months and social behaviors with an unfamiliar peer during play at 36 months, using the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model (APIM; Kashy & Kenny, 1999). The APIM model was used to not only replicate previous findings of direct effects of early social fear on children's own social behavior (i.e., actor effects), but also to extend these findings by examining whether children's early social fear relates to an unfamiliar peer's behavior at 36 months (i.e., partner effects). Results revealed that social fear was associated with lower levels of children's own social engagement as well as less social engagement and dysregulated behavior in their play partners. These findings show that toddlers' social interactive behaviors are interdependent and reflect unique contributions of both the individual and their social partner's characteristics. In contrast, social fear was associated with children's own social wariness with the unfamiliar peer, but not their play partners' wariness. We discuss findings in terms of the influence of early social fear on young children's interpersonal environments and the potential role of these altered environments in supporting continuity of social fear and wariness over time.
Descriptors: Fear, Play, Social Influences, Peer Relationship, Mothers, Toddlers, Social Behavior, Young Children, Age Differences, Interaction, Familiarity, Longitudinal Studies, Correlation, Questionnaires, Coding, Personality Traits, Psychological Patterns, Child Behavior
American Psychological Association. Journals Department, 750 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20002. Tel: 800-374-2721; Tel: 202-336-5510; Fax: 202-336-5502; e-mail: order@apa.org; Web site: http://www.apa.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: National Institutes of Health (DHHS)
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Maryland
Grant or Contract Numbers: HD017899; MH093349