Handbook of Peer Interactions, Relationships, and Groups

“In addition to obvious interest for social and developmental psychologists and scientists, this volume is especially interesting and informative for child clinical psychologists and developmental psychopathologists. It offers an invaluable review of the state of the art with respect to theory, assessment, knowledge of peer relationships across the lifespan, and the importance of peers for emotional and behavioral adjustment. The salience of interpersonal relationships in the development of emotional and behavioral problems–especially in later childhood and adolescence–has become better recognized and studied. This timely and scholarly handbook is an essential reference for anyone working in a clinical setting with youth.”–Benjamin L. Hankin, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of Denver “This volume fills a major gap in the field by bringing together the work of leading researchers in the broad area of children’s peer relationships. It is indeed astonishing that, to date, no one handbook has reviewed the huge corpus of theoretical, historical, methodological, and substantive research on children’s friendships and peer interactions, given their centrality to children’s development from early childhood to adolescence. By emphasizing not only normative social development in dyadic and group settings, but also individual differences in social competence and social behavior–as well as the familial, neighborhood, and cultural contexts of children’s relationships with peers–this comprehensive work will prove to be an invaluable reference for researchers, scholars, and graduate students.”–Susan B. Campbell, PhD, Department of Psychology; Chair, Developmental Psychology Program; University of Pittsburgh “An indispensable resource for anyone interested in current knowledge on the role of peers in human development, from advanced undergraduate students to researchers in the area. The clear structuring of the broad content helps readers to quickly find what they are looking for and to organize their own ideas about peer relations.”–Jens B. Asendorpf, PhD, Department of Psychology, Humboldt University of Berlin, Germany “Outstanding. The relationships of children and adolescents with their peers are examined with exceptional thoroughness and authority by the key researchers in the field. The focus on children’s friendships is particularly timely and welcome, and illuminates connections among friends, family, and the larger networks of peers. The breadth of the topics covered and the clarity and accessibility of the writing make this book an excellent text for developmental psychology students.”–Judith F. Dunn, PhD, Institute of Psychiatry, Kings College London, United Kingdom “This first-rate handbook edited by three major scholars thoroughly covers the landscape. The distinguished contributors provide detailed treatments of methodology, normative development, and individual differences from early childhood through adolescence and at multiple levels of analysis. A particular strength is the emphasis on both proximal and distal mechanisms of influence. Coverage includes normal and atypical peer relationships, with applications to academic functioning and psychological adjustment. This comprehensive volume will be an invaluable resource for researchers who study social and emotional competence, instructors who teach courses on socioemotional development, and advanced undergraduate and graduate students who are looking for concise, accessible treatments of the major topics and issues in contemporary peer relations research. It will make a great addition to my bookshelf!”–Celia A. Brownell, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh

“Truly deserving of the name ‘handbook,’ this volume offers a complete overview of empirical research on children’s peer relations, right up to today’s state-of-the-art multimodal prevention experiments. Readers will learn about the full range of methods and analytic tools for studying the broad developmental span from infancy to young adulthood. Several chapters stand out as gems.”–Kenneth A. Dodge, PhD, William McDougall Professor of Public Policy and Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University

“Meets or exceeds the criteria that we may expect for a ‘true’ developmental handbook and fills a niche in published offerings that, remarkably, was previously unpopulated….The editors have assembled an impressive list of many of the most influential and active researchers in the field for this volume….The volume contains no less than 33 chapters and the complete list of authors contains many more names easily recognizable as the kind of Who’s Who roster one would expect from a definitive 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―nor is it easy to imagine that one could be assembled in the near future. The review chapters compiled for this handbook are an excellent document of the historical and conceptual roots of peer relations research, describe a broad range of constructs and related methods and instruments, and describe important causal processes and outcomes associated with peer relations and development. 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 Published On: 2011-02-02

“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 Published On: 2009-07-03

Kenneth H. Rubin, PhD, is Professor of Human Development and Director of the Center for Children, Relationships, and Culture at the University of Maryland. His research interests include children’s peer and family relationships and their social and emotional development. Dr. Rubin is the recipient of a Killam Research Fellowship (Canada Council) and an Ontario Mental Health Senior Research Fellowship, is past president of the International Society for the Study of Behavioral Development, and has published 11 books and over 240 peer-reviewed chapters and articles. He is a Fellow of the Canadian and American Psychological Associations and the Association for Psychological Science.

 

William M. Bukowski, PhD, is Professor and University Research Chair in the Department of Psychology at Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. He is also the Director of the interuniversity Centre for Research in Human Development, based in Quebec. His research program focuses on the factors that influence the features and effects of peer relations in early adolescence. Dr. Bukowski is past editor of the International Journal of Behavioral Development.

 

Brett Laursen, PhD, is Professor of Psychology and Director of Graduate Training at Florida Atlantic University. His research focuses on parent-child and peer relationships during childhood and adolescence and the influence of these relationships on individual social and academic adjustment. Dr. Laursen is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association (Division 7, Developmental) and a Fellow and Charter Member of the Association for Psychological Science. He is currently editor of the Methods and Measures section of the International Journal of Behavioral Development. A Docent Professor of Social Developmental Psychology at the University of Jyväskylä, Finland, he is also a member of the Finnish Center of Excellence in Learning and Motivation Research.