How Do Individual Predispositions and Family Dynamics Contribute to Academic Adjustment Through the Middle School Years? The Mediating Role of Friends’ Characteristics

Abstract

This study examined the mediating effect of friends' characteristics (problem behavior and academic achievement) in the association between students' background (family and individual factors) and later academic adjustment, as operationalized by problem behavior and academic achievement. We recruited 998 participants in three public middle schools and used three annual waves of data collection (Grades 6, 7, and 8). We found that students' own academic achievement and problem behavior are predictors of later adjustment. Friendship choices are identified as a mediation mechanism that contributes to consistent adjustment from the beginning to the end of middle school. Specifically, high-achieving students in Grade 6 tend to associate with high-achieving friends and are unlikely to associate with friends who exhibit problem behavior in Grade 7, which results in continued achievement in Grade 8. Associating with high-achieving friends in Grade 7 also mediated the link between adolescent problem behavior in Grade 6 and academic achievement by Grade 8. Friends' characteristics in Grade 7 did not mediate the effect of any family factor measured in Grade 6. In general, our results suggest friendship selection is central to sustained success throughout the middle school years.

Adolescents’ Life Satisfaction: The Role of Classroom, Family, Self-Concept and Gender

“…In terms of gender differences, the degree of student-perceived teacher aid and support is significant both for boys and girls, although girls tend to establish more positive relationships. This result is consistent with previous research indicating that girls tend to be socially more integrated at school [55], closer to teachers and with a better psychosocial adjustment in this context [30,56], thereby confirming the third hypotheses. Finally, it is important to note that although the effect sizes in the multivariate analyses of variance (MANOVAs) and in univariate analyses of variance (ANOVAs) are small, these results seem to maintain their importance in the field.…”

Associations of Early Adolescents’ Best Friendships, Peer Groups, and Coolness With Overt and Relational Aggression

“…Best friendships were measured by asking students to list one best friend (same-or cross-gender) in their grade during the fall semester (Urberg et al, 1997). Consistent with prior research, both reciprocated and unilateral best friendship nominations were included in analyses (Aloise-Young et al, 1994;Vaillancourt et al, 2019;Veronneau & Dishion, 2011).…”

“…Reciprocated nominations are considered important for identifying friendships (Rubin et al, 2009). However, some researchers suggest that peers who receive unilateral or nonreciprocal nominations still provide substantial influence, as they reflect an individual’s own perceptions of his or her relationships (Poulin & Chan, 2010; Vaillancourt, Paiva, Veronneau, & Dishion, 2019). For instance, Meter, Casper, and Card (2015) found that highly intimate, nonreciprocal best friendships (along with less intimate, reciprocal best friendships) influenced adolescents’ aggressive behavior.…”

Developmental Changes in the Locus of Control in Students Attending Integrated and Non-integrated Classes during Early Adolescence in Poland

“…One of them is the pubertal growth spurt which modifies adolescents' self-esteem and emotions, leading to changes in the way they interpret various events [55]. Other factors are changing external circumstances, such as transition to the next educational stage, and the need to adapt to the new requirements and the new peer environment [22,23,56,57]. Maxey and Beckert [11] stress the importance of relationships with parents, siblings, and friends; the impact of school; access to new technologies; and involvement in extracurricular activities, as factors that play a role in the psychosocial functioning of adolescents and affect their locus of control.…”