Social-cognitive Competence, Peer Rejection and Neglect, and Behavioral and Emotional Problems in Middle Childhood

This prospective, longitudinal study examines individual differences in two conceptu-ally related but empirically distinct domains of social-cognitive competence (cognitive interpretive understanding and interpersonal perspective co-ordination) as modera-tors of the relation between peer rejection and neglect and behavioral and emotional problems in grades 2 and 3. As expected, peer rejection and neglect increased risks for behavioral and emotional problems whereas interpretive understanding (understand-ing of mental states) and perspective co-ordination (awareness of others ’ emotions and motives) reduced risks for aggressive, disruptive, inattentive, and anxious, sad, with-drawn behaviors. Assumptions that awareness of others ’ perspectives bestows consis-tent benefits for children experiencing peer problems were challenged. Unexpectedly, rejection and neglect increased risks for behavioral and emotional problems for chil-dren who demonstrated average and high levels of perspective co-ordination. More advanced perspective co-ordination may heighten children’s sensitivity to peer rela-tionship problems and result in general maladjustment, both concurrently and over time. Less advanced perspective co-ordination may also be responsible for the ‘opti-mistic bias ’ that has been noted in aggressive children