“Meets or exceeds the criteria that we may expect for a 'true' developmental handbook. The scope of the volume is also impressive and the structure is logical and well organized. The editors and authors of this volume represent the 'A-list' of researchers and theorists working in this area and there is no comparable resource available. Researchers and instructors will find this collection useful for refining and expanding their own work and for introducing colleagues and students to the state of the art in peer relations research. The work presented here and the overview that these experts provide gives one an excellent sense of how the field has grown and expanded, where the active lines of research currently lie, and where they might be headed. This handbook [is] a solid investment for anyone who needs to access the state of the art or wishes to see where it might be headed.”
—Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology (on the first edition)
“Certainly the definitive volume on the social development of children from infancy to adolescence. An indisputable resource for anyone interested in socio-emotional development. Essential. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty and professionals.”
—Choice Reviews (on the first edition)
“The second edition of this handbook provides the definitive summary of research on children’s peer relations. Even for the seasoned veteran, there is much to learn here. Findings from individual differences research synergize with developmental findings in novel ways. For example, we learn from Hay, Caplan, and Nash that species-wide development in social cognition presages species-wide growth in play, and from McDonald and Asher that individual differences in social cognition predict individual differences in peer acceptance. The field has matured to the point where Lansford’s capstone chapter on public policy now has the authority of strong empirical science.”
—Kenneth A. Dodge, PhD, Pritzker Professor of Public Policy and Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University
“The contributors to this second edition are a 'who's who' of researchers in peer relationships. The breadth of topics is equally impressive, covering everything from effects of genes, popularity, and income to the evolutionary bases of peer relations and their links to mental health. The book embodies an impressive range of disciplinary perspectives. Perhaps most important, the individual chapters are interesting and provocative—they not only thoroughly review the literature, but also take a stance and make new points that should help advance the field. The editors and contributors are to be commended for an outstanding work!”
—Joseph P. Allen, PhD, Hugh P. Kelly Professor of Psychology, University of Virginia
“The second edition of this handbook reviews recent advances in the field and presents a complete picture of relevant theories and research methods. The volume offers a multidisciplinary perspective on peer relations in both typical and atypical development. Peer relations are explored in all of their dimensions, from the influences of individual differences and cultural contexts to the dynamics of dyads, groups, friendships, and romantic relationships. Among the book's numerous strengths are discussions of intervention and policy issues, as well as new content on neuroscience.”
—Simona C. S. Caravita, PhD, Department of Psychology, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Milan, Italy
“Impressive in its scope and coverage of the literature on children’s peer relations. The second edition includes comprehensive, current updates on such topics as the relation between peer acceptance or rejection and children's later adjustment. There are new chapters on intriguing, scientifically important topics, including how children function within networks and groups. Valuable reading.”
1. Peer Relations: Past, Present, and Promise, William M. Bukowski, Brett Laursen, & Kenneth H. Rubin
II. Conceptual Origins of Peer Research
2. Socioethological/Developmental Principles and Perspectives on Peer Interactions, Relationships, and Groups from Early Childhood through Adolescence, António J. Santos & Brian E. Vaughn
3. Pathways, Networks, and Norms. A Sociological Perspective on Peer Research, René Veenstra, Jan KornelisDijkstra, & Derek A. Kreager
4. Sociometric Perspectives, Antonius H. N. Cillessen & William M. Bukowski
5. The Peer Group: Linking Conceptualizations, Theories, and Methods, Thomas A. Kindermann & Scott D. Gest
6. Evolution and Peer Relations: Considering the Functional Roles of Aggression and Prosociality, Patricia H. Hawley & Andrew R. Bower
7. Peer Relations and Psychosocial Development: Perspectives from Genetic Approaches, Mara Brendgen, Isabelle Ouellet-Morin, & Michel Boivin
8. Peers and the Self, William M. Bukowski & Diana Raufelder
III. Individual Characteristics and Peer Interactions
9. Personality and Peer Relationships, Marcel A. G. van Aken & Jens B. Asendorpf
10. Neuroscience and Peer Relations, Amanda E. Guyer & Johanna M. Jarcho
11. The Beginnings of Peer Relations, Dale F. Hay, Marlene Caplan, & Alison Nash
12. Children’s Play and Peer Relations, Nina Howe & Jamie Leach
13. Prosocial Behavior with Peers: Intentions, Outcomes, and Interpersonal Adjustment, Melanie A. Dirks, Kristen A. Dunfield, & Holly E. Recchia
14. Conflict between Peers, Brett Laursen & Ryan Adams
15. The Interface of Aggression and Peer Relations in Childhood and Adolescence, Frank Vitaro, Michel Boivin, & François Poulin
16. Bullying and Victimization, Christina Salmivalli & Kätlin Peets
17. Avoiding and Withdrawing from the Peer Group, Kenneth H. Rubin, Julie C. Bowker, Matthew G. Barstead, & Robert J. Coplan
IV. Dyads and Groups
18. Parent–Child Attachment and Peer Relations, Cathyrn Booth-LaForce, & Ashley M. Groh
19. Friendship in Childhood and Adolescence: Features, Effects, and Processes, Catherine L. Bagwell & William M. Bukowski
20. Differences and Similarities: The Dynamics of Same- and Other-Sex Peer Relationships, Carol Lynn Martin, Richard A. Fabes, & Laura D. Hanish
21. The Romantic Relationships of Youth, Wyndol Furman
22. Peer Acceptance, Peer Rejection, and Popularity: Social Cognitive and Behavioral Perspectives, Kristina L. McDonald & Steven R. Asher
23. Peer Influence, Brett Laursen
24. Intergroup Exclusion, Moral Judgments, and Social Cognition, Melanie Killen, Adam Rutland, Michael T. Rizzo, & Luke McGuire
V. Diversity in Peer Experience
25. The Potential of Schools to Facilitate and Constrain Peer Relationships, Jaana Juvonen
26. Inequality and Neighborhood Effects on Peer Relations, Adrienne Nishina & Amy Bellmore
27. Social Media and Peer Relationships, Marion K. Underwood, B. Bradford Brown, & Samuel E. Ehrenreich
28. Culture and Peer Relationships, Xinyin Chen, Jinsol Lee, & Lingjun Chen
29. Gender and Peer Relationships, Amanda J. Rose & Rhiannon L. Smith
30. Race and Ethnicity in Peer Relations Research, Sandra Graham & Leslie Echols
VI. Outcomes, Intervention, and Policy
31. Peer Status and Psychopathology, Mitchell J. Prinstein, Diana Rancourt, Caroline B. Adelman, Erica Ahlich, Jennifer Smith, & John D. Guerry
32. Peers, Academics and Teachers, Allison M. Ryan & Huiyoung Shin
33. Peer-Based Interventions for Behaviorally Inhibited, Socially Withdrawn, and Socially Anxious Children, Robert J. Coplan, Barry H. Schneider, Laura L. Ooi, & William E. Hipson
34. Youth Activity Participation: An Ecological Peer-Based Approach for Positive Youth Development, Linda Rose-Krasnor & Heather Ramey
35. Public Policy and Peer Relationships, Jennifer E. Lansford