“More Than Grades”: The Hidden Power of Peer Relationships in Gifted Adolescents’ Well-Being

• In Event: Developing Psychosocial Skills

Abstract

This study investigated to what extent parent, peer, and teacher relationships predict adolescents’ well-being, comparing academically gifted and non-identified students. Ordinary least squares (OLS) regression, based on PISA 2022 student data, showed that all three types of social relationships significantly and positively predicted adolescent well-being. For all students, parent relationship had the largest association with well-being, followed by teacher and peer relationships. However, an interaction effect indicated that peer relationship was relatively more important (approximately tripled effect) for the well-being of gifted students than for non-identified students. Findings underscore the need to foster positive peer environments for gifted youth. Promoting supportive connections across home, school, and peer contexts can benefit all adolescents, and may be especially vital for gifted adolescents.

Authors

• Fangfang Cai, Johns Hopkins University

• Keri M. Guilbault, Johns Hopkins University