Abstract
The present study focuses on the following questions: (a) Are students with learning disabilities (LD) and low-achieving students (LA), when controlling for age and gender, less accepted by peers, do they feel more lonely, do they have lower self-esteem, and do they feel more depressed than NLD and NLA students? (b) Does low achievement per se or does selection into special education programs or special class placement of students with LD affect these students' psychological adjustment? Two analyses were conducted to elucidate these questions. Concerning the first question, the analysis was based on a sample of 1,434 4th-, 7th-, and 9th-grade students drawn from regular school classes. It revealed that students with LD compared with NLD and NLA students were less accepted by peers, had lower self-esteem, and felt more lonely. LA students compared with NLD and NLA students were less accepted by peers, had lower self-esteem, and were more depressed. Concerning the second question, the analysis was based on a subsample of 276 LD and LA students. It revealed that, when controlling for age and gender, and holding achievement in reading, writing, arithmetic, and intelligence constant, LD students compared with LA students were less depressed but were less accepted by peers and felt lonelier. Thus, besides the effects of low academic achievement, to be labeled “a student with LD” may have negative effects primarily on peer acceptance and directly and indirectly on feelings of loneliness, particularly in primary school.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Ammerman, Robert T., Kazdin, Alan E., & Van-Hasselt, Vincent B. (1993). Correlates of loneliness in nonreferred and psychiatrically hospitalized children. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 2(3), 187–202.
Anderson, Craig A. & Harvey, Robert J. (1988). Discriminating between problems in living: An examination of measures of depression, loneliness, shyness, and social anxiety. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 6, 482–491.
Asher, Steven R., Hymel, Shelley, & Renshaw, Peter D. (1984). Loneliness in children. Child Development, 55, 1456–1464.
Asher, Steven R. & Wheeler, Valerie A. (1985). Children's loneliness: A comparison of rejected and neglected peer status. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 53, 500–505.
Beck, Aron (1967). Depression: Clinical, experimental, and theoretical aspects. New York: Harper & Row.
Beltempo, Joseph & Achille, Pier A. (1990). The effect of special class placement on the self-concept of children with learning disabilities. Child Study Journal, 20(2), 81–103.
Boivin, Michel, Hymel, Shelley, & Bukowski, William M. (1995). The roles of social withdrawal, peer rejection, and victimization by peers in predicting loneliness and depressed mood in childhood. (Draft, May 1995).
Borys, Shelley & Perlman, Daniel (1985). Gender differences in loneliness. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 11(1), 63–74.
Brage, Diane, Meredith, William, & Woodward, John (1993). Correlates of loneliness among Midwestern adolescents. Adolescence, 28, 685–693.
Brage, Diane & Meredith, William (1994). A causal model of adolescent depression. Journal of Psychology, 128(4), 455–468.
Cartledge, Gwendolyn, Stupay, Diane, & Kaczala, Caroline (1986). Social skills and social perception of LD and nonhandicapped elementary-school students. Learning Disability Quarterly, 9, 226–234.
Cassidy, Jude & Asher, Steven R. (1992). Loneliness and peer relations in young children. Child Development, 63, 350–365.
Cronbach, Lee J. (1951). Coefficient alpha and the internal structure of tests. Psychmetrica, 16, 297–334.
Eliason, Michele J. & Richman, Lynn C. (1988). Behavior and attention in LD children. Learning Disability Quarterly, 11, 360–369.
Gresham, Frank M. & Reschly, Daniel J. (1986). Social skill deficits and low peer acceptance of mainstreamed learning disabled children. Learning Disability Quarterly, 9, 23–33.
Härnqvist, Kjell, Gustafsson, Jan Eric, Múthen, Bengt O., & Nelson, Ginger (1994). Hierarchical models of ability at individual and class levels. Intelligence, 18, 165–187.
Heath, Nancy Lee (1993). Learning disabilities and depression: Research, theory and practice. Exceptionality Education Canada, 2,3, and 4, 59–74.
Heath, Nancy Lee & Wiener, Judith (1996). Depression and nonacademic self-perceptions in children with and without learning disabilities. Learning Disability Quarterly, 19(1), 34–44.
Heyman, Wendy B. (1990). The self-perception of a learning disability and its relationship to academic self-concept and self-esteem. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 23(8), 472–475.
Hinshaw, Stephen P. (1992). Academic underachievement, attention deficits and aggression: Comorbidity and implications for intervention. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 60, 863–902.
Hymel, Shelley, Wagner, Esther, & Butler, Lynda J. (1990). Reputational bias: View from the peer group. In S. R. Asher & J. D. Coie (Eds.), Peer rejection in childhood. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 156–186.
Jöreskog, Karl G. & Sörbom, Dag (1988). LISREL 7: A guide to the program and applications. Chicago: SPSS, Inc.
Kistner, Janet A. & Osborne, Mary L. (1987). A longitudinal study of LD children's self-evaluations. Learning Disability Quarterly, 10, 258–266.
Kovacs, Maria (1985). The children's depression inventory (CDI). Psychopharmacology Bulletin, 21, 995–998.
La Greca, Annette M. (1987). Children with learning disabilities: Interpersonal skills and social competence. Journal of Reading, Writing, and Learning Disabilities International, 3, 167–185.
La Greca, Annette M. & Stone, Wendy L. (1990). LD status and achievement: Confounding variables in the study of children's social status, self-esteem and behavioral functioning. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 23(8), 483–490.
Ledingham, Jane E. & Schwartzman, Alex E. (1984). A three-year follow-up of aggressive and withdrawn behavior in childhood: Preliminary findings. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 12, 157–168.
Luftig, Richard L. (1987). Childrens' loneliness, perceived ease in making friends and estimated social adequacy: Development and social metacognition. Child Study Journal, 17(1), 35–53.
Maag, John W. & Behrens, John T. (1989). Depression and cognitive self statement of learning disabled and seriously emotionally disturbed adolescents. The Journal of Special Education, 23, 17–27.
Maag, John W. & Reid, Robert (1994). The phenomenology of depression among students with and without learning disabilities: More similar than different. Learning Disabilities Research, 9(2), 91–103.
Margalit, Malka & Ben-Dov, Ilana (1992). Kibbutz versus city comparisons of social competence and loneliness among students with and without learning disabilities. Paper presented at the annual IARLD Conference, Amsterdam.
Margalit, Malka & Ronen, Tammie (1993). Loneliness and social competence among preadolescents and adolescents with mild mental retardation. Mental Handicap Research, 6, 97–111.
Marsh, Herbert W. (1990). SDQ II. Manual & research monograph. New York: The Psychological Corporation, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Inc.
Milich, Richard, McAninch, Cecilie B., & Harris, Monica J. (1992). Effects of stigmatizing information on children's peer relations: Believing is seeing. School Psychology Review, 21(3), 400–409.
Mokros, Hartmut B., Poznanski, Elva O., & Merrik, William A. (1989). Depression and learning disabilities in children: A test of a hypothesis. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 22, 230–233.
Moore, DeWayne & Schultz, Norman R. (1983). Loneliness at adolescence: Correlates, attributions and coping. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 12, 95–100.
Newcomer, Phyllis L., Barenbaum, Edna, & Pearson, Nils (1995). Depression and anxiety in children and adolescents with learning disabilities, conduct disorders and no disabilities. Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, 3(1), 27–39.
Nolen-Hoeksema, Susan (1987). Sex differences in unipolar depression: Evidence and theory. Psychological Bulletin, 101, 259–282.
Nolen-Hoeksema, Susan (1990). Sex differences in depression. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press.
Nolen-Hoeksema, Susan, Girgus, Joan S., & Seligman, Martin E. P. (1991). Sex differences in depression and explanatory style in children. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 20(2), 233–245.
Ouellet, Real & Joshi, Purushottam (1986). Loneliness in relation to depression and self-esteem. Psychological Reports, 58, 821–822.
Parker, Jefferey G. & Asher, Steven R. (1987). Peer relations and later personal adjustment: Are low-accepted children at risk? Psychological Bulletin, 102, 357–389.
Peplau, Leititia & Perlman, Daniel (1982). Loneliness: A sourcebook of current theory, research and therapy. New York: John Wiley.
Renick, Mari J. & Harter, Susan (1989). Impact of social comparisons on the developing self-perceptions of learning disabled students. Journal of Educational Psychology, 81, 631–638.
Renshaw, Peter D. & Brown, Peter J. (1991). Loneliness in middle childhood. The Journal of Social Psychology, 132, 545–547.
Rich, Alexander R. & Bonner, Ronald L. (1987). Interpersonal moderators of depression among college students. Journal of College Student Personnel, 28, 337–342.
Rook, Karen S. (1984). Promoting social bonding: Strategies for helping the lonely and socially isolated. American Psychologist, 39, 1389–1407.
Sabornie, Edward J. (1994). Social-affective characteristics in early adolescents identified as learning disabled and nondisabled. Learning Disability Quarterly, 17, 268–279.
Seligman, Martin E. & Peterson, Christopher (1986). A learned helplessness perspective on childhood depression: Theory and research. In M. Rutter, C. E. Izard, & P. B. Read (Eds.), Depression in young people. New York: Guilford Press, pp. 223–251.
Sletta, Olav (1985). Sosiale bytteforhold ved samspill i skoleklasser (Social exchange relations and interaction in school classes). Oslo: Universitetsforlaget.
Sletta, Olav, Valås, Harald, Skaalvik, Einar, & Søbstad, Frode (1996). Peer relations, loneliness and self-perceptions in school-aged children. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 66, 431–445.
Thompson Prout, H., Marcal, Steven D., & Marcal, Debra C. (1992). A meta-analysis of self-reported personality characteristics of children and adolescents with learning disabilities. Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment, 10, 59–64.
Stipek, Deborah J. (1993). Motivation to learn: From theory to practice. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.
Valås, Harald & Sletta, Olav (1996). Social behavior, peer relations, loneliness and self-perceptions in middle school children: A mediational model. Paper presented at the XIVth Biennial Meetings of the International Society for the Study of Behavioural Development, Quebec City.
Vaughn, Sharon, McIntosh, Ruth, Schumm, Jeanne S., Haager, Diane, & Callwood, D. (1993). Social status, peer acceptance, and reciprocal friendships revisited. Learning Disabilities Research and Practice, 8(2), 82–88.
Vaughn, Sharon & Haager, Diane (1994). Social competence as a multifaceted construct: How do students with learning disabilities fare? Learning Disability Quarterly, 17, 253–266.
Vaughn, Sharon, Elbaum, Batya E, & Schumm, Jeanne S. (1996). The effects of inclusion on the social functioning of students with learning disabilities. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 29(6), 598–608.
Weeks, David G., Michela, John L., Peplau, Letitia A., & Bragg, Martin E. (1980). Relation between loneliness and depression: A structural equation analysis. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 39(6), 1238–1244.
Weissman, Myrna M. & Klerman, Gerald L. (1977). Sex differences in the epidemiology of depression. Arch. Gen. Psychiatry, 34, 98–111.
Williams, Gladys A. & Asher, Steven R. (1992). Assessment of loneliness at school among children with mild mental retardation. American Journal of Mental Retardation, 96(4), 373–385.
Woodward, John (1988). The solitude of loneliness. Lexington, MA: Lexington Books.
Woodward, John & Frank, Barbara D. (1988). Rural adolescent loneliness and coping strategies. Adolescence, 23, 559–565.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
ValÅs, H. Students With Learning Disabilities and Low-Achieving Students: Peer Acceptance, Loneliness, Self-Esteem, and Depression. Social Psychology of Education 3, 173–192 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1009626828789
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1009626828789