Social Networks and Self Perceived Competence in Middle Childhood

아동의 사회관계망과 자기역량지각

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between social networks and perceived self-competence. The subject were 350 third and sixth graders selected from a public elementary school in Seoul. The children were administered the Pattison Psychosocial Network Inventory and The Self Perception Profile for Children. Three major questions are addressed; l)age changes 2)sex differences, and 3) the relation between the characteristics of social networks and self-perceived competence. Data were analyzed by pearson's product moment correlation, one-way ANOVA. Proportion measures were also used since they had allowed for the observation of relationship between two subsets of people within given categories(e.g.,the number of relatives divided by the number of relatives plus nonrelatives). The effects of age and sex of child on the number and daily contact with kin, nankin, peers, adults, males, and females were found. Sixth graders had a larger number of adults than third graders. While children had a greater number of adults than peers, they had more contact with peers than with adults in their network. It was found that boys had greater number of people in their network than girls. And boys had a larger number of and more contact with males, and girls had a larger number of more contact with females. The structure of childrens' social networks structure were correlated with perceived self-competence.