Peer Influence and Selection Effects on Adolescents’ School Engagement: A Longitudinal Dyadic Analysis

• In Event: Cross-Cultural Exploration of Schools as Sites for Adolescent Development

Abstract

This study investigated how friendship selection and socialization mechanisms are associated with similarities in school engagement of adolescents’ reciprocal best friendship, with relative motivation of dyads as potential moderators. We used the actor-oriented interdependence models to examine selections effects for newly formed friendship dyads (n=214) and socialization effects for enduring friendship dyads (n=240). Selection effects were detected for engagement of new friendships dyads. Partner effects directed from the dyad member with higher motivation to the member with lower motivation emerged as statistically significant; however, the partner effects directed from the dyad member with lower to higher motivation were non-significant. The results of the study can encourage efforts for promoting social mixing of students with different motivational and academic profiles and allay concerns that mixing students with different motivational profiles can negatively influence the more motivated students.

Authors

• Imelda Santos Caleon, National Institute of Education - Nanyang Technological University

• Koh Wei Xun, National Institute of Education - Nanyang Technological University

• Tan Rui Xiang, National Institute of Education - Nanyang Technological University

• Liu Cheng

• Yunge Fan, National Institute of Education - Nanyang Technological University

• Melvin Chan, Teck Whye Secondary School