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Peer Relationships and Psychopathology: Markers, Moderators, Mediators, Mechanisms, and Meanings

As the study of peer relations has grown and developed, it has gained a prominent position in the understanding of developmental process and psychopathology. During its development, research in peer relations has moved from a more undifferentiated, global state to a state of increased articulation and complexity. This introductory essay attempts to provide examples of five models that reflect the state of the art in peer relation research: Markers, moderators, mediators, mechanisms, and meanings. Examples from the papers in the special issue and research from the general field of peer relations are used to illustrate these five approaches to the study of peer relations and developmental psychopathology.