1
|
Laursen B, Faur S. What Does it Mean to be Susceptible to Influence? A Brief Primer on Peer Conformity and Developmental Changes that Affect it. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BEHAVIORAL DEVELOPMENT 2022; 46:222-237. [PMID: 35990791 PMCID: PMC9387868 DOI: 10.1177/01650254221084103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/05/2023]
Abstract
Peer influence is a twofold process that entails a behavior by an agent of influence that elicits conformity from the target of influence. Susceptibility describes the likelihood that conformity will occur. This review focuses on factors that shape susceptibility to peer influence. We argue that conformity has two distinct sources. In some instances, conformity is a product of characteristics of the target of influence, operationalized as stable individual difference variables. Trait-like attributes associated with susceptibility to peer influence include conformity dispositions, social goals, resource acquisition strategies, vulnerabilities, and maturational status. In other instances, conformity is a product of the context in which the target is situated, operationalized as impermanent individual difference variables. State-like circumstances associated with susceptibility to peer influence include conditions of uncertainty, personal attributes that differ from the partner or group, perceived benefits of impression management, unmet social needs, and social referents and beliefs about their behavior. Empirical illustrations are provided. We close with a discussion of developmental changes hypothesized to impact variations in susceptibility to peer influence.
Collapse
|
2
|
Kisfalusi D, Hooijsma M, Huitsing G, Veenstra R. How dislike and bullying co‐develop: A longitudinal study of negative relationships among children. SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/sode.12582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Dorottya Kisfalusi
- Computational Social Science—Research Center for Educational and Network Studies (CSS—RECENS) Centre for Social Sciences Budapest Hungary
| | - Marianne Hooijsma
- Department of Sociology/Interuniversity Center for Social Science Theory and Methodology (ICS) University of Groningen Groningen The Netherlands
| | - Gijs Huitsing
- Department of Sociology/Interuniversity Center for Social Science Theory and Methodology (ICS) University of Groningen Groningen The Netherlands
| | - René Veenstra
- Department of Sociology/Interuniversity Center for Social Science Theory and Methodology (ICS) University of Groningen Groningen The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Crosnoe R. Contextualizing the Social and Educational Journeys of Adolescents within the Life Course. JOURNAL OF RESEARCH ON ADOLESCENCE : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR RESEARCH ON ADOLESCENCE 2021; 31:1135-1151. [PMID: 34820957 PMCID: PMC10283218 DOI: 10.1111/jora.12689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
What happens during adolescence emerges from early in life and sets the stage for later in life. This linking function of adolescence within the life course is grounded in social, psychological, and biological development and is fundamental to the intergenerational transmission of societal inequalities. This article explores this life course phenomenon by focusing on how the social ups and downs of secondary school shape adolescents' educational trajectories, translating their backgrounds into their futures through the interplay of their personal agency with the constraints imposed by the stratified institutions they navigate. Illustrative examples include gender differences in risky behavior, racialized experiences of school discipline, immigrant youths' family relations, LGBTQ students' school safety, STEM education, adverse childhood experiences, and mindset interventions.
Collapse
|
4
|
Palacios D, Dijkstra JK, Berger C, Huisman M, Veenstra R. Disentangling dyadic and reputational perceptions of prosociality, aggression, and popularity in explaining friendship networks in early adolescence. SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/sode.12565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Diego Palacios
- Department of Sociology University of Groningen Groningen The Netherlands
- Society and Health Research Center, Facultad de Humanidades Universidad Mayor Santiago Chile
| | | | - Christian Berger
- Escuela de Psicología Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile Santiago Chile
| | - Mark Huisman
- Department of Sociology University of Groningen Groningen The Netherlands
| | - René Veenstra
- Department of Sociology University of Groningen Groningen The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Wang L, Liang L, Liu Z, Yuan K, Ju J, Bian Y. The Developmental Process of Peer Support Networks: The Role of Friendship. Front Psychol 2021; 12:615148. [PMID: 33584478 PMCID: PMC7875894 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.615148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2020] [Accepted: 01/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
This study investigated the characteristics and development of peer support networks in an effort to unravel the role of friendship in this developmental process. The relationships between friendship networks and peer support networks were explored, and the influence of dyadic and triadic friendships on the development of peer support relationships was examined. Two waves of data were collected among a sample of adolescents in six Chinese junior high schools (n = 913 students from 28 classrooms; mean age = 14.13 years; 50.49% boys), and classroom friendship networks and peer support networks were analyzed. The results showed that peer support networks were sparse, hierarchical, and sex-segregated. Furthermore, peer support networks and friendship networks partially overlapped. Friends tended to have similar support-seeking and support-providing ties. Longitudinal multiplex social network analysis revealed that peer support networks changed moderately over time, and friendships played various roles in the development of peer support networks. Dyadic friendships improved the formation of peer support ties. A mutual friend improved the formation of support relationships between two students when the mutual friend chose the two students as friends, but a mutual friend also hindered or had no effects on the formation of support relationships in other cases. The implications for educators to improve peer support networks are presented, and directions for future research are discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lingfei Wang
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Assessment for Basic Education Quality, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Lichan Liang
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Assessment for Basic Education Quality, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.,Child and Family Education Research Center, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.,Institute of Mental Health and Education, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Zhengguang Liu
- Department of Psychology and Behavioral Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Keman Yuan
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Assessment for Basic Education Quality, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Jiawen Ju
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Assessment for Basic Education Quality, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Yufang Bian
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Assessment for Basic Education Quality, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.,Child and Family Education Research Center, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.,Institute of Mental Health and Education, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Boda Z, Néray B, Snijders TAB. The Dynamics of Interethnic Friendships and Negative Ties in Secondary School: The Role of Peer-Perceived Ethnicity. SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY QUARTERLY 2020. [DOI: 10.1177/0190272520907594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
This study examines ethnic integration in secondary school. Social identity theory suggests that perception of relevant individual attributes plays a crucial role in defining ingroups and outgroups, contributing to befriending, and disliking others. Therefore, we analyze the role of peer-perceived ethnicity in social ties. Networks of friendship, dislike, and perceived ethnicity were modeled together using dynamic stochastic actor-oriented models, separating the effect of perceived ethnicity on social ties from that of social ties on perceived ethnicity. Data came from a Hungarian sample of 12 school classes with one minority group: the Roma. Treating friendship and dislike as mutually exclusive and comparing them to neutral relations, we found evidence for the role of perceived ethnicity in dislike—majority students disliked those they perceived as minority peers. However, we saw no direct effect of ethnicity on the friendship network. Implications of the joint modeling of mutually exclusive relationship aspects are discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zsófia Boda
- ETH Zürich, Zurich, ZH, Switzerland
- University College London, UK
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
7
|
Boda Z, Elmer T, Vörös A, Stadtfeld C. Short-term and long-term effects of a social network intervention on friendships among university students. Sci Rep 2020; 10:2889. [PMID: 32076003 PMCID: PMC7031228 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-59594-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2019] [Accepted: 01/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Informal social relations, such as friendships, are crucial for the well-being and success of students at all levels of education. Network interventions can aim at providing contact opportunities in school settings to prevent the social isolation of individuals and facilitate integration between otherwise segregated social groups. We investigate the short-term and long-term effects of one specific network intervention in an undergraduate cohort freshly admitted to an engineering department (\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$${\bf{N}}{\boldsymbol{=}}{\bf{226}}$$\end{document}N=226). In this intervention, we randomly assigned students into small groups at an introduction event two months prior to their first day at university. The groups were designed to increase mixed-gender contact opportunities. Two months after the intervention, we find a higher rate of friendships, common friends, and mixed-gender friendships in pairs of students who were assigned to the same group than in pairs from different groups (short-term effects). These effects gradually diminish over the first academic year (long-term effects). Using stochastic actor-oriented models, we investigate the long-term trajectory of the intervention effects, while considering alternative network processes, such as reciprocity, transitivity, homophily, and popularity. The results suggest that even though the induced friendship ties are less stable than other friendships, they may serve as early seeds for complex social network processes. Our study shows that simple network interventions can have a pronounced short-term effect and indirect long-term effects on the evolution and structure of student communities.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zsófia Boda
- Chair of Social Networks, Department of Humanities, Social and Political Sciences, ETH Zürich, Weinbergstrasse 109, Zürich, 8006, Switzerland. .,Institute of Education, University College London, 20 Bedford Way, London, WC1H 0AL, United Kingdom.
| | - Timon Elmer
- Chair of Social Networks, Department of Humanities, Social and Political Sciences, ETH Zürich, Weinbergstrasse 109, Zürich, 8006, Switzerland
| | - András Vörös
- Chair of Social Networks, Department of Humanities, Social and Political Sciences, ETH Zürich, Weinbergstrasse 109, Zürich, 8006, Switzerland.,Department of Social Statistics and Mitchell Centre for Social Network Analysis, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL, United Kingdom
| | - Christoph Stadtfeld
- Chair of Social Networks, Department of Humanities, Social and Political Sciences, ETH Zürich, Weinbergstrasse 109, Zürich, 8006, Switzerland.
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Neal JW. A systematic review of social network methods in high impact developmental psychology journals. SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/sode.12442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
|
9
|
Kornienko O, Ha T, Dishion TJ. Dynamic pathways between rejection and antisocial behavior in peer networks: Update and test of confluence model. Dev Psychopathol 2020; 32:175-188. [PMID: 30722801 PMCID: PMC6930972 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579418001645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
The confluence model theorizes that dynamic transactions between peer rejection and deviant peer clustering amplify antisocial behavior (AB) within the school context during adolescence. Little is known about the links between peer rejection and AB as embedded in changing networks. Using longitudinal social network analysis, we investigated the interplay between rejection, deviant peer clustering, and AB in an ethnically diverse sample of students attending public middle schools (N = 997; 52.7% boys). Adolescents completed peer nomination reports of rejection and antisocial behavior in Grades 6-8. Results revealed that rejection status was associated with friendship selection, and adolescents became rejected if they were friends with others who were rejected. Youth befriended others with similar levels of AB. Significant patterns of peer influence were documented for AB and rejection. As hypothesized, rejected youth with low AB were more likely to affiliate with others with high AB instead of similarly low AB. In contrast, nonrejected youth preferred to befriend others with similarly high or low AB. Results support an updated confluence model of a joint interplay between rejection and AB as ecological conditions that lead to self-organization into deviant clusters in which peer contagion on problem behaviors operates.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Thao Ha
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University
| | - Thomas J. Dishion
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University
- REACH Institute, Arizona State University
- Oregon Research Institute, Eugene, OR
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Palacios D, Berger C, Luengo Kanacri BP, Veenstra R, Dijkstra JK. The Interplay of Adolescents' Aggression and Victimization with Friendship and Antipathy Networks within an Educational Prosocial Intervention. J Youth Adolesc 2019; 48:2005-2022. [PMID: 31482513 PMCID: PMC6813759 DOI: 10.1007/s10964-019-01105-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2019] [Accepted: 08/02/2019] [Indexed: 10/31/2022]
Abstract
How the interplay between peer relationships and behaviors unfolds and how this differs between classrooms is an understudied topic. This study examined whether adolescents befriend or dislike peers whom they consider as aggressor or victim and whether these results differ in classrooms that received an intervention to promote prosocial behavior compared to classrooms without the intervention. The sample was composed of 659 seventh graders (Mage = 12.32; 48% girls) from nine intervention and seven control classrooms in eight schools in Santiago, Chile. It was hypothesized that adolescents in intervention classrooms would be less befriended and more disliked by classmates who considered them as aggressors, and more befriended and less disliked by classmates who considered them as victims, compared to control classrooms. Longitudinal multiplex social network analyses (RSiena) indicate that antipathies toward peers considered as aggressive and victimized were significantly lower in intervention classrooms than in control classrooms, but no significant differences were found for friendships. These findings suggest that the impact of an educational intervention may go beyond changing individual behavior and extend to the way peer relations develop in classrooms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Diego Palacios
- Department of Sociology, Interuniversity Center for Social Science Theory and Methodology (ICS), University of Groningen, Grote Rozenstraat 31, 9712 TG, Groningen, The Netherlands.
| | - Christian Berger
- Department of Psychology, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | | | - René Veenstra
- Department of Sociology, Interuniversity Center for Social Science Theory and Methodology (ICS), University of Groningen, Grote Rozenstraat 31, 9712 TG, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Jan Kornelis Dijkstra
- Department of Sociology, Interuniversity Center for Social Science Theory and Methodology (ICS), University of Groningen, Grote Rozenstraat 31, 9712 TG, Groningen, The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Rambaran JA, Dijkstra JK, Veenstra R. Bullying as a Group Process in Childhood: A Longitudinal Social Network Analysis. Child Dev 2019; 91:1336-1352. [PMID: 31429084 PMCID: PMC7496633 DOI: 10.1111/cdev.13298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
This study investigates the dynamic interplay between bullying relationships and friendships in a sample of 481 students in 19 elementary school classrooms (age 8-12 years; 50% boys). Based on a relational framework, it is to be expected that friendships would be formed when two children bullied the same person and that children would start to bully the victims of their friends. Similarly, it is to be expected that friendships would be formed when two children were victimized by the same bully and that children would become victimized by the bullies of their friends. Longitudinal bivariate social network analysis supported the first two hypotheses but not the latter two. This study provides evidence for group processes in bullying networks in childhood.
Collapse
|
12
|
Abstract
Understanding the factors that explain academic failure and success of university students is a core interest of educational researchers, teachers, and managers. We demonstrate how the dynamic social networks that informally evolve between students can affect their academic performance. We closely followed the emergence of multiple social networks within a cohort of 226 undergraduate university students. They were strangers to each other on their first day at university, but developed densely knit social networks through time. We show that functional studying relationships tended to evolve from informal friendship relations. In a critical examination period after one year, these networks proved to be crucial: Socially isolated students had significantly lower examination grades and were more likely to drop out of university. Academic success of students has been explained with a variety of individual and socioeconomic factors. Social networks that informally emerge within student communities can have an additional effect on their achievement. However, this effect of social ties is difficult to measure and quantify, because social networks are multidimensional and dynamically evolving within the educational context. We repeatedly surveyed a cohort of 226 engineering undergraduates between their first day at university and a crucial examination at the end of the academic year. We investigate how social networks emerge between previously unacquainted students and how integration in these networks explains academic success. Our study measures multiple important dimensions of social ties between students: their positive interactions, friendships, and studying relations. By using statistical models for dynamic network data, we are able to investigate the processes of social network formation in the cohort. We find that friendship ties informally evolve into studying relationships over the academic year. This process is crucial, as studying together with others, in turn, has a strong impact on students’ success at the examination. The results are robust to individual differences in socioeconomic background factors and to various indirect measures of cognitive abilities, such as prior academic achievement and being perceived as smart by other students. The findings underline the importance of understanding social network dynamics in educational settings. They call for the creation of university environments promoting the development of positive relationships in pursuit of academic success.
Collapse
|