The concept of a peer of older preschoolers with different sociometric status

Abstract

Background. There is the is one of the most important in pedagogy and psychology problem of relationships between preschoolers. The nature of the relationship between children at this age has a significant impact on the process of development and socialization; understanding the differences in ideas about peers in older preschool children with different sociometric status reveals the features of their interaction. Objectives. The study identified the characteristics of the idea of a peer in older preschool children with different sociometric status. Sample. The study involved 140 preschoolers aged 6-7 years, including 69 girls and 71 boys, who had been attending state preschool educational institutions for at least two years. Consent was obtained from all preschoolers’ parents of to conduct the psychological study. Methods. The following methods were used: “Dva domika” (“Two Houses”) by T.D. Martsinkovskaya; “Rasskaz o druge” (“A Story about a Friend”) by E.O. Smirnova, V.M. Kholmogorova; “Neokonchennyye situatsii” (“Unfinished Situations”) by A.M. Shchetinina, L.V. Kirs; “Le Test-Film” (“Film Test”) by R. Gille. Results. The results were obtained on the differences in the ideas about peers in older preschool children with different sociometric status. Thus, preschoolers with high and average sociometric status have a positive idea of peers, open and safe for communication. When children with low sociometric status imagine peers more negatively and are wary of them, they are less inclined to establish close relationships with other children and may experience communication difficulties. Conclusions. There is a relationship between sociometric status in a peer group and the idea of a peer in children of early to school age. The obtained results emphasize the importance of sociometric status and the need to take into account the position of a preschooler in a group when building individual work.

Keywords

• sociometric status
• preschoolers
• peer
• relationships
• sociometric procedure