Social performance as a predictor of peer nominations in newly formed groups: a short-term longitudinal study

Abstract

We assessed the predictive ability of social performance as measured by the Checklist of Adolescent Problem Situations (CAPS; Cavell & Kelley, 1995) for peer nominations of likability and four behavioral dimensions. The CAPS contains seven scales: Make Friends, Keep Friends, Parents, Siblings, School, work, and Problem Behavior. High scores on these scales are indicative of inadequacy in functioning in that area. Subjects were academically atrisk adolescents who participated in a university-based summer enhancement program. The subjects were previously unacquainted, allowing us to control for the effects of reputation. The CAPS was administered prior to the program and peer nominations were obtained at the end of 8 weeks. Subjects who received higher scores on the Keep Friends and Problem Behavior scales were more likely to receive fewer nominations of friendliness than were subjects whose scores were low on these scales. Social impact scores, determined by nominations of likability, were significantly positively correlated with scores on the Make Friends scale. Rejected adolescents had greater difficulty in work-related situations than either popular or neglected adolescents. The most interesting finding was an interaction effect between sociometric status and gender on the Sibling scale. The clinical and research implications of these findings are discussed.