A comparison of dyadic and social network assessments of peer influence

Abstract

The present study compares two methods for assessing peer influence: the longitudinal actor–partner interdependence model (L-APIM) and the longitudinal social network analysis (L-SNA) Model. The data were drawn from 1,995 (49% girls and 51% boys) third grade students ( M age = 9.68 years). From this sample, L-APIM ( n = 206 indistinguishable dyads and n = 187 distinguishable dyads) and L-SNA ( n = 1,024 total network members) subsamples were created. Students completed peer nominations and objective assessments of mathematical reasoning in the spring of the third and fourth grades. Patterns of statistical significance differed across analyses. Stable distinguishable and indistinguishable L-APIM dyadic analyses identified reciprocated friend influence such that friends with similar levels of mathematical reasoning influenced one another and friends with higher math reasoning influenced friends with lower math reasoning. L-SNA models with an influence parameter (i.e., average reciprocated alter) comparable to that assessed in L-APIM analyses failed to detect influence effects. Influence effects did emerge, however, with the addition of another, different social network influence parameter (i.e., average alter influence effect). The diverging results may be attributed to differences in the sensitivity of the analyses, their ability to account for structural confounds with selection and influence, the samples included in the analyses, and the relative strength of influence in reciprocated best as opposed to other friendships.

Academic performance and depression in Chinese children: Same‐domain and cross‐domain effects in friendships

“…The results suggested that children who had academically competent friends were likely to benefit from the relationship during development for strengthening their academic performance and for reducing their depressed feelings. Whereas the previous studies have been mostly concerned with same-domain effects in friendships (e.g., Delay et al, 2021;Rambaran et al, 2017;Schwartz-Mette & Lawrence, 2019), the present study found that the influence of friends might spread to other domains, showing the comprehensive contributions of friendships to child development. As indicated earlier, whereas the same-domain effect on academic performance is often discussed in terms of modeling and reinforcement between friends for academic attitudes and behaviors and provision of support for learning (Altermatt & Pomerantz, 2005;Gremmen et al, 2019), the contributions of friends' academic performance across domains may involve broader social-cognitive and affective regulatory processes within and beyond the dyad (Lerner, 2018;Masten & Cicchetti, 2010;Sameroff, 2009).…”

“…With the advancement of analytic strategies, such as the actor‐partner interdependence model (APIM; Kenny et al, 2006) and the social network analysis (e.g., Snijders et al, 2010), there is increased interest in recent years in exploring the effects of friends' specific attributes on individual development. Despite some mixed findings (e.g., a lack of significant effects of friends' behaviors over time, Spithoven et al, 2018), the studies have shown that friends' behaviors and problems, such as alcohol use, academic performance, school attitudes, and depression, may have significant effects on friendship partners' later behaviors and problems in the corresponding domains (e.g., Delay et al, 2021; Gremmen et al, 2019; Rambaran et al, 2017; Shin & Ryan, 2014).…”

What does it mean to be susceptible to influence? A brief primer on peer conformity and developmental changes that affect it

“…Research also supports the assertion that influenced is a product of relative aptitude. Several studies indicate that higher performing children influence the academic achievement of their lower performing friends, and not the reverse (e.g., DeLay et al, 2015DeLay et al, , 2021, but only one addressed the source of inter-individual variance: Conformity was strongest when lesser achieving friends who were confident about their ability to learn were paired with higher ability partners (DeLay et al, 2014).…”

Freundschaft im Peerkontext

“…B. Mercken et al 2012;Caravita et al 2014;DeLay et al 2021), welche zudem auch den höchsten Anteil an Peer-Studien darstellen (Kerr et al 2008, 128). Aus der insgesamt häufig vorkommenden Freundschaftszentrierung resultiert, dass oftmals -wenn auch implizit -angenommen wird, dass FreundInnen der wesentlichste Bestandteil der Peergroup bzw.…”