THE RELATION OF THE SOCIOMETRIC STATUS TO ANXIETY TENDENCIES IN SIXTH GRADERS

Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to test the hypothesis that isolates with low sociometric status would reveal more indications of anxiety than would leaders with the high sociometric status.
A sociometric test consisting of following three criteria,‘grouping’,‘play’ and ‘study’ was administered to 626 sixth graders out of 15 classes to select the following three groups of subjects: ‘rejectees’,‘neglectees’ and ‘leaders’.The general anxiety test and the Rorschach test were then given to all the subjects.
The findings are as follows:
The results of the general anxiety test standardized by TAKEN revealed that both rejectees and neglectees were more anxious than leaders.There was a statistically significant difference in the tendency for loneliness between rejectees and leaders. Likewise, there were significant differences in the anxiety tendency for learning and in the total anxiety tendency between neglectees and leaders.
The anxiety index by R. M. Eichler and one by S.B.Sarason and F.N.Cox were adopted as the anxiety indices in terms of the Rorschach test.It was shown that rejectees and neglectees were more anxious in their responses with these indices than leaders.
The higher degree of anxiety by isolates was interpreted to show dissatisfaction of need for belongingness to the group, on the basis of the interwoven effects of their personality characteristics reflected on their responses to the Rorschach test and the environmental condition in which they were pressed and rejected by their peers.