AGE-DIFFERENCES IN THE CORRELATES OF PERCEIVED DOMINANCE

Previous evidence indicates that the correlates of dominance vary over studies. We hypothesized that one source of this variability is that dominance shifts with age from being associated with aggression to bei ng more associated with prosocial behavior and sociometric status. To test this, we examined 10 vs, 13 year-old boys' perceptions of dominan ce, using a measure that assessed the perceived outcomes of dyadic ago nism. In a sample consisting predominantly of lower- and middle-SES bo ys from public schools attending a racially integrated summer program for youths with behavior problems, we examined the relation between pe rceived dominance, sociometric status, and measures of social behavior , including physical and verbal aggression. Perceived dominance was as sociated with hitting and bullying among 10 year-olds, whereas among 1 3 year-olds it was more closely associated with sociometric status. Th e measure of perceived dominance we present produced rigidity scores c omparable to those found using behavioral measures of dominance.