Predictors of peer helpfulness: Implications for youth in residential treatment

✍ Scribed by James Vincent; Daniel Houlihan; Patricia Mitchell

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1992
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 518 KB
• Volume: 7
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1072-0847
• DOI: 10.1002/bin.2360070106

✦ Synopsis

Sociometric measures were used to predict peer helpfulness of youth in a residential treatment center. Seventeen female adolescents with conduct disorders were asked to choose three peers in their group who were most popular, similar, well-liked, and competent. These sociometric measures were correlated with the frequency in which each peer was nominated as most and least helpful in several problem scenarios representing actual situations encountered in residential settings. A multiple linear regression analysis indicated that "popularity" was the best predictor of peer helpfulness across the problem scenarios. Discussion focused on the impact of popularity on treatment strategies for youth in residential placement.

Peer mediated interventions have been effective in treating a variety of problems including social withdrawal (Ragland, Keer,