Browsing by Author "Andreassi, Cristina Lynne"

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    The Relationship Among Behavior, Social Cognition, and Peer Acceptance in School-Identified Children with Learning Disabilities
    (2007-12-07) Andreassi, Cristina Lynne; William Erchul, Committee Member; Ann Schulte, Committee Chair; Patricia Collins, Committee Member; Mary Haskett, Committee Member
    This study examined the relationships among social cognition, externalizing behavior, and social acceptance in children with and without learning disabilities. It was hypothesized that social-cognitive accuracy and externalizing behavior would mediate differences observed in social acceptance between children with and without learning disabilities. School-identified children with learning disabilities (N = 55) in grades 3 through 5 were compared to their non-identified peers (N= 631) in terms of social acceptance. Social acceptance was determined using peer nominations of liked most and liked least, which were converted into an overall social preference score for each child. When it was determined that children's learning disability status accounted for a small but significant portion of the variance in children's social acceptance (1.3%), mediation tests were conducted to determine if externalizing behavior or social cognitive accuracy functioned as mediators in the observed relationship. Externalizing behavior was assessed through teacher report on the Child Behavior Checklist. Social-cognitive accuracy was determined by calculating the extent to which individual children's reports of peer groups in their classrooms matched the social groups derived through Social Cognitive Mapping. The results indicated that externalizing behavior partially mediated the relationship between learning disabilities and social acceptance. No evidence was found that social-cognitive accuracy functioned as a mediator. Limitations, implications for improving children's social functioning, and future research on the social functioning, behavior, and social cognition of children with learning disabilities were discussed in light of these findings.
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    Social Cognition as a Mediator in the Relationship between Disability Status and Social Status
    (2004-08-29) Andreassi, Cristina Lynne; Ann Schulte, Committee Member
    This study examined the relationship between social-cognitive ability and social status in children with and without learning disabilities. Social cognitive mapping was used to determine children's centrality in the social network in their classroom and accuracy in reporting peer social networks. It was predicted that social cognition, as assessed through the accuracy measure, would mediate differences in social status, as assessed through social network centrality. Although children with learning disabilities had lower social network centrality, they did not differ from children without learning disabilities in terms of accuracy in reporting social networks in the classroom. Therefore, the mediation model was not supported. However, greater accuracy in reporting peer networks was predictive of greater peer involvement across both groups of children. Results are discussed in terms of implications for improving children's social functioning and future research on the topics of the social functioning and social cognition of children with learning disabilities.