Abstract
The quantity and quality of social experiences with peers are likely to interact with the developing brain to shape how children respond in peer as well as other social interactions and contexts. With the advancement in neuroimaging techniques, it has become easier to measure brain responses to such environmental input across development. This is an important advancement, because studying how the brains of children respond to social environmental input elucidates the underlying mechanisms by which peer experiences may shape development. In addition to informing the basic scientific literature on child development, this information about the developing nervous system can inform assessment, diagnosis, prevention, and intervention. In the current chapter, we describe the advancement in the field of developmental social neuroscience during childhood with a specific focus on peer experiences. We present a theoretical framework designating how peer social stressors may impact brain function during development. This is followed by an overview of empirical evidence spanning experiments and correlational studies involving preschool and elementary school ages (4–12 years), with measurement of brain function using electroencephalography (EEG) or functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). We conclude by providing directions for future research on peer social experiences and brain development during childhood.
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Asscheman, J.S., Deater-Deckard, K. (2022). School Social Relationships and Brain Functioning. In: van Lier, P.A., Deater-Deckard, K. (eds) Biosocial Interplay During Elementary School. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-07109-6_8
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