Will they like me? Adolescents’ emotional responses to peer evaluation

Abstract

Relative to children and adults, adolescents are highly focused on being evaluated by peers. This increased attention to peer evaluation has implications for emotion regulation in adolescence, but little is known about the characteristics of the evaluatee and evaluator that influence emotional reactions to evaluative outcomes. The present study used a computer-based social evaluation task to examine predictors of adolescents’ emotional responses to feedback from unknown peers. Nine-to-seventeen-year-olds (N = 36) completed the “chatroom task” and indicated the degree to which each peer would be interested in interacting with them and how good they felt after receiving acceptance and rejection feedback from peers. We examined whether adolescents’ age and gender impacted their emotional responses to being accepted or rejected by peers of different age groups (i.e., early or middle adolescence) and genders. We also tested whether expectations about peers’ interest was associated with variability in adolescents’ emotional responses to the evaluative outcome. Upon being accepted by middle adolescent male peers, females in the middle relative to early years of adolescence reported greater well-being, whereas males reported similar levels of well-being regardless of their own age. Following acceptance from middle adolescent female peers, females reported greater well-being than males. Adolescents with high expectations for being liked by peers felt better after being accepted versus rejected relative to those with low expectations. For adolescents with low expectations, acceptance and rejection were associated with similar levels of well-being. Adolescents’ emotional responses to peer evaluation are influenced by specific individual characteristics and antecedent preparation for evaluation that may serve an emotion regulatory purpose.

A Phenomenological Study of Middle Grade Female and Male Students’ Single-Sex Mathematical Experiences

“…Such affective variables may negatively shape middle school students' attitudes toward mathematics (Ma & Kishor, 1997), as well as their experiences within the classroom. In addition, students at this age possess a desire to be accepted by their peers (Guyer, Caouette, Lee, & Ruiz, 2014), hold a heightened awareness of how one looks (Wigfield & Wagner, 2005), and a need to build appropriate and supportive relationships with their teacher (McHugh, Horner, Colditz, & Wallace, 2013).…”

Regulación emocional en niños y adolescentes: conceptos, procesos e influencias

“…Recent neuroimaging studies in adolescents between 11 and 19 years of age have confirmed that, when observed by peers, young adolescents show a weaker activation of brain areas associated with cognitive control and instead show higher neuronal activity in regions associated with rewards, which explains the youngsters' need to actively seek acceptance of their social group (Brodbeck et al, 2013;Chein et al, 2011;Guyer et al, 2014;Steinberg, 2008). The phenomenon of regulatory difficulty before social stimuli has also proved to be associated with a higher occurrence in risk behaviors such as substance use, and risky sex behaviors, among others (Brodbeck et al, 2013;Chein et al, 2011;Guyer et al, 2014;Steinberg, 2008). …”

“…Researchers in this field have managed to locate the full maturation of these neurobiological systems towards the end of adolescence. Researchers also explain that it is near the end of adolescence that, even under highly emotional arousal, individuals successfully demonstrate sophisticated self-regulation skills that enable them to control impulses and cope with stressors in a socially adequate manner (Chein, Albert, O'Brien, Uckert, & Steinberg, 2011;Guyer, Caouette, Lee, & Ruiz, 2014;Lewis et al, 2006;Luna et al, 2010;Ochsner & Gross, 2005;Steinberg, 2008;Thompson, 2011;Zimmermann & Iwanski, 2014 (Campos et al, 2004;Cole, 2014;Goldsmith & Davidson, 2004;Thompson, 2011;Thompson et al, 2013;Zeman et al, 2006).…”

“…Research in this field has registered how young adolescents spend lots of their time thinking about how they are perceived by others and concerned about their status in their social group (Chein et al, 2011;Brodbeck, Bachmann, Croudace, & Brown, 2013;Brodbeck et al, 2013;Silk et al, 2003;Steinberg, 2008;Zeman et al, 2006). It is also well documented how social circumstances, specifically the presence of peers, place high levels of stress and highly emotional arousal among young adolescents, and situations that expose them to the possibility of being negatively evaluated by their peers cause a considerable decrease in their self-regulatory capacity, lower assertiveness and limited decision-making strategies (Garnefski & Kraaij, 2006;Guyer et Emotion Regulation in Children and Adolescents:…”

“…Between ages 17 and 19, the frequency and success in using ER strategies such as perspective taking, empathetic concern, and reassessment of the situation is similar to that of adults (Garnefski & Kraaij, 2006;Guyer et al, 2014;Silvers et al, 2012;Van der Graaff et al, 2014). Age 19 marks the end of adolescence; neurophysiological and biological systems reach maturity, allowing individuals to have greater levels of organization and control in physio- Early adulthood is associated with a better ability to respond to peer pressure and with a significant acquisition of more responsible and moderate behavior (Lewis et al, 2006;Silk et al, 2003;Silvers et al, 2012;Steinberg, 2005;Thompson, 2011).…”