Sociometric Measures and Peer Descriptors of Kindergarten Children: A Study of Reliability and Validity

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Abstract
I investigated the reliability of two sociometric measures (viz., peer nominations and class ratings) for kindergarten children. I also compared the perceived behavioral characteristics of children to their sociometric status. The subjects, all children in two kindergarten classrooms, were assessed in December and May. Results showed strong stability for the sociometric data, with peer preferences, class ratings, and negative nominations yielding the strongest correlations over time. The reliability of peer selections for behavioral descriptors was very high for children described as ones who shared or helped, upset things, started fights, or cried a lot. A comparison of the sociometric measures to peer descriptors showed that children who received low sociometric ratings were very likely to be described negatively (i.e., starts fights, disrupts things). The findings suggest that all three measures are valid assessment methods for kindergarten children, though each may serve different purposes, and developmental changes may influence some of the results.