AGGRESSIVENESS AND STATUS OF ELEMENTARY-S CHOOL BOYS AMONG THEIR PEERS - EXAMINATION OF THE DISSIMILARITY RULE

The aim of the present study was to evaluate whether the relation betw een aggression and peer status varies as a function of the value attac hed to aggression by the peer group. Fourteen third grade classrooms ( 171 boys) and nine fifth grade classrooms (106 boys) participated in t he study. These boys were met individually to evaluate peer status. Th ey also completed an attitude toward aggression scale and two peer nom ination inventories. The teacher were also asked to fill out a behavio r problem checklist. For each grade level, the three classes displayin g the higher group scores on the attitude toward aggression scale were compared to the three classes exhibiting the lower group scores. The results only partly supported the main hypothesis. As expected, in thi rd grade, aggression was negatively related to peer status in classes where aggression was less valued, but unrelated to peer status in clas ses where aggression was more valued. These results were not confirmed in fifth grade. The discussion focuses on the social ecological facto rs that may account for this.