Those who score the highest in this measurement are said to be sociometrically popular. Measurements of perceived popularity might be taken by observing peer behavior or interaction, although some studies ask subjects to rank their peers by indicating which students they believe to be the most and the least popular. Interestingly, sociometric and perceived popularity rankings do not typically align well, but are in fact often diametrically opposed (Cillessen & Rose, 2005). Those who measure highly in sociometric popularity usually score poorly in perceived popularity, while those who score highly in perceived popularity typically core poorly in sociometric popularity. Simply put, many members of peer groups who are perceived to be popular by others are, in fact, not well liked. .
What explains this disparity between sociometric popularity and perceived popularity? There are some overlaps between those who are sociometrically popular and those who are perceived popular, but the percentages are low; one study showed that 36% of those who were sociometrically popular were also perceived popular while 29% of those who were perceived popular were also sociometrically popular (Cillessen & Rose, 2005). Researchers who have attempted to understand what drives these two forms of popularity have found some traits each group has in common, and somewhere they differ. Those who are sociometrically popular and those who are perceived popular both exhibit prosocial and cooperative behaviors (Parkhurst, 1998). In short, they know how to work well with and get along with others, and these behaviors underpin their respective forms of popularity. Where they diverge is in the matter of relational aggression; the sociometrically popular show low levels of relational aggression, while the perceived popular demonstrate higher levels of relational aggression (Cillessen & Rose, 2005).
Relational aggression differs from overt aggression; overt aggression refers to behaviors such as hitting and other forms of physical and verbal abuse.