The pattern of findings suggests that the processes implicated in Dodge's work with older children may begin earlier than previously thought, with a focus on emotions.

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The idea that success in peer relations represents a critical aspect of social competence in childhood and adolescence has been supported by a welldeveloped research base over the past thirty years (Rubin, Bukowski, and Parker, 1998). The majority of this research has focused on children' s popularity or status in their peer group, typically the other students in their school classroom or grade level. However, a separate body of work has considered the features, characteristics, and developmental significance of children's dyadic relationships with friends. As the chapters in this volume emphasize, both popularity (or avoiding rejection) in the larger peer group and establishment of close friendships are important developmental tasks for children and adolescents. Although many of the skills and competencies that lead to positive adjustment in the larger peer group are also those that forecast success in friendships, these two types of peer relations are not identical in their characteristic features or in the effects they have on children' s social and emotional well-being (Bukowski and Hoza, 1989).As our understanding of what peer relations look like, how they develop, and what predicts success or difficulty in establishing positive peer relationships has increased, investigators have paid greater attention to the developmental significance of these relationships. There are now a number of well-designed short-term longitudinal studies establishing links between poor peer relations in childhood-both peer rejection and the failure to form close friendships-and poor school adjustment and psychological health, loneliness, and problem behavior in later childhood or early adolescence (

This study investigated relations among preschoolers' secure-base behavior with mother at home, stressful family conditions, and qualities of developing relationships with peers and teachers in preschool. Preschool-age children (N = 94; 51 boys and 43 girls) and their mothers were observed during multiple home visits, and their security of attachment was assessed with the Attachment Q-Set. Children in families with lower levels of stress had more secure attachment relationships with mothers. Both boys and girls who were less securely attached to their mothers expressed significantly more anger-aggression in preschool. For boys, higher levels of family stress were also significantly related to anger-aggression and to social competence in preschool. In addition, boys who were more securely attached to their mothers were more securely attached to their preschool teachers and were more popular with peers in preschool.

Emotional competence is a contributor to young children’s social success. This study focused on these contributions from a relational perspective. The emotional expressions, and reactions to others’ emotional expressions, of 145 predominately Caucasian/middle income 3- and 4-year-olds were observed in their classrooms during unstructured play. Participants’ and playmates’ emotions and emotional responsiveness were classified into positive and negative playgroup types. Participants’ social competence was measured using peers, teachers, and parents as informants. Results indicate that preschoolers in playgroups characterised by anger and negative emotional responsiveness are evaluated as lacking in social competence up to a year later. Additionally, security of attachment and externalising temperament predicted membership in such playgroups. These effects held true more often for boys.

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The authors expected less secure preschoolers to be less emotionally competent when interacting with peers at age 3 and that these emotionally incompetent children, especially those who showed much unregulated anger, would be less socially competent in kindergarten. These directional hypotheses were examined in a sample of 91 preschoolers, and all were corroborated.

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