Abstract
Researchers have discovered two distinct but correlated forms of grade school popularity, perceived and sociometric. Perceived popularity is defined as the perception of popularity by others and is associated with being socially dominant or central. Its most important correlates are physical attractiveness for girls and athletic aptitude for boys. Sociometric popularity is defined as being well liked by many. Its most important correlates are prosocial behaviour and highly developed social skills. Currently, no theory adequately explains the relationship between perceived and sociometric popularity and the ultimate causes of grade school social dynamics. The current paper addresses this deficiency and presents a unified theory of grade school popularity.
According to the proposed theory, perceived popularity is caused by a range of motivated interpersonal behaviours (input of energy) directed preferentially towards a small percentage of attractive students. Sociometric popularity, in contrast, is caused by prosocial behaviours that lead to interpersonal liking. Perceived and sociometric popularity are distinct but correlated because the ultimate cause of each, attraction and liking respectively, are independent psychological processes that share a temporal link. In conjunction with the theory, a three factor model is developed that can be used to understand how any student comes to occupy their social position. The three factors are: 1) how the individual relates with the group; 2) how the group relates with the individual; and 3), the situation. Applications and implications of the theory are discussed throughout.
