1. in sociometry, the relative interpersonal position of a member within a group as determined by other group members.

2. in measures of peer acceptance among children and adolescents, any of several profiles assigned to an individual based on peer ratings of (a) his or her social preference (i.e., number of the individual’s nominations as most liked minus the number of nominations as least liked) and (b) his or her social impact (i.e., number of the individual’s nominations as most liked plus number of nominations as least liked). In research reported in 1982, likability was related to peer perception of a child’s cooperativeness, supportiveness, and physical attractiveness, whereas dislike was related to peer perception of a child’s disruptiveness and aggression. Among status types, a popular child received both high social preference and high social impact scores. A rejected child received both low social preference and low social impact scores. An average child scored at the mean for social preference and social impact. A neglected child (typically called an isolate) received a low social impact score but was neither actively liked nor actively disliked by peers. A controversial child received high social impact scores and mean overall social preference scores but was above the mean for both positive and negative preference ratings. Later studies have proposed subtypes for some of these status profiles—for example, subdividing peer-rejected status into aggressive-rejected child and withdrawn-rejected child. [proposed in 1982 by U.S. psychologists John D. Coie (1937–  ), Kenneth A. Dodge (1954–  ), and Heide Coppotelli]