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Abstract
The current study examined the degree to which interaction group characteristics moderated internalizing distress for children at varying levels of anxious/withdrawal. Interaction groups displaying higher levels of prosocial behavior, especially fun and outgoing behavior, were predicted to result in lower levels of internalizing problems. Anxious/withdrawal group characteristics were also investigated. Participants were 642 fourth and fifth grade students who nominated other students within their grade based on who best fit certain behavioral characteristics and who, “hung out together.” Participants completed a self-report loneliness scale, and classroom teachers completed a scale rating participants’ internalizing distress. Contrary to prediction, results indicated children exhibiting higher levels of peer-reported anxious/withdrawal displayed (a) lower internalizing problems when embedded in an interaction group with higher levels of anxious/withdrawal and (b) higher levels of self-reported distress when embedded in interaction groups with higher levels of fun and outgoing characteristics.