From boys to men: Predicting adult adaptation from middle childhood sociometric status

Abstract

This report examines the predictive validity of sociometric status at age 9–10 to young adult (age 23–24) antisocial behavior, work and school engagement, and arrests using Oregon Youth Study males (N = 206). A variety of analytic strategies included (a) multivariate analyses to examine the variation in adult adaptation as a function of sociometric classification at age 9–10, (b) regression analyses to evaluate the relative contribution of “liked most” and “liked least” peer nominations, and (c) structural equation modeling to predict the young adult outcome constructs from social preference at age 9–10. Contrary to expectation, when controlling for early antisocial behavior and academic skills, boys' social preference scores still predicted young adult outcomes. Longitudinal findings are discussed with respect to the salience of male peer rejection in middle childhood and the social developmental processes that may account for the predictive validity of peer rejection.This project was supported by a grant (MH 37940) from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIH) to Deborah Capaldi, PhD, Oregon Social Learning Center, and by grants (DA 05304 and DA 16110) from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIH) to the second author (T.J.D.). Thanks to Ann Simas for editing and graphics preparation on this manuscript.

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