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Abstract
The current study aimed to build on past research investigating the link between behaviors associated with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and poor peer relations. This study utilized the Quadratic Assignment Procedure (QAP) to address limitations of prior work, which has mainly utilized either third-party ratings or aggregated peer data, by examining concordance in peer nominations between inattentive or hyperactive/impulsive behaviors and peer disliking. Participants were 387 fourth and fifth graders from rural classrooms in the southeastern United States. Students were instructed to respond to questionnaires where they chose three classmates they felt best fit each behavioral descriptor and the like least item. Results indicated a stronger association between behaviors of interest and dislike within QAP correlations compared to Pearson correlations (i.e., using aggregated data). Regression analyses revealed links between these behaviors and dislike with no one behavior as a consistent predictor across classrooms, indicating the importance of context and classroom norms.