Agentic Social Play and Peer Relationships: Evidence from a Pandemic-Era Survey of Youth

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Sunday 7:45 am
  In Roundtable Session: Youth Identity Development and Social Relationships

Abstract

This study explores how peer relationships—specifically peer belonging and friendship intimacy—are shaped by youth-driven versus adult-managed after-school activities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using data from 1,643 fourth and seventh-graders in a predominantly Hispanic school district, we introduce the concept of Agentic Social Play (ASP) to describe emotionally engaging, peer-directed interaction. Logistic regression models show that in-person hanging out strongly predicts both outcomes, while online hanging out predicts friendship intimacy. Participation in organized activities loses significance when ASP and prosocial behavior are included. Findings highlight the unique relational value of informal, youth-directed interaction and underscore the need to preserve space for ASP in youth programming, especially as social recovery from the pandemic continues.

Author

• Menissah E. Bigsby, University of California - Los Angeles