The Functions of Proactive and Reactive Aggression in Gaining, Maintaining, and Losing Popularity in Early Adolescence

• In Event: 1-035 - New Insights into the Nature, Development and Consequences of Popularity

Abstract/Description

Although associations between popularity and forms of aggression have been examined extensively (Mayeux, Houser, & Dyches, 2011), a focus on the functions of aggression is relatively new (Prinstein & Cillessen, 2003; Stoltz et al., 2016). The few existing studies indicated that proactive aggression helps to gain and maintain popularity, whereas reactive aggression may result in a loss of popularity (Prinstein & Cillessen, 2003; Stoltz, Cillessen, van den Berg, & Gommans, 2016). The question remains whether this is true for all youth. For instance, adolescents may accept and reinforce proactive aggression by peers who are already popular but not by peers at the bottom of the social hierarchy. In this study, we therefore examined 1) whether changes in popularity were associated with changes in proactive and reactive aggression over a 3-year period, and 2) whether the consequences of displaying proactive and reactive aggression for gaining and maintaining popularity varied as a function of the status adolescents already had achieved. We examined these questions right after the transition from elementary to second education, a time when adolescents form new peer groups with previously unacquainted students, and when questions of gaining, maintaining, or losing status are of primary importance.
Data came from the Kandinsky Longitudinal Study, an ongoing study on identifying early adolescents at risk for social and emotional problems in secondary education. For the current study, we analyzed 5 cohorts of 3-year longitudinal data from 1365 adolescents (47% male) in secondary education. Participants’ age ranged from 12.69 years in Grade 7 (SD = .42) to 14.67 years in Grade 9 (SD = .41). The majority was born in the Netherlands (96.1%) or had parents born in the Netherlands (81.0%).
Linear mixed models were run to examine differences in proactive and reactive aggression over time as a function of popularity trajectories. For proactive aggression, there was an interaction between time by popularity trajectory, F(12, 2244.1) = 2.99, p < .001. Results indicated that (a) adolescents who maintained their popular status were perceived as the most proactively aggressive, (b) adolescents who gained popular status increased their proactive aggression, and (c) adolescents who lost popular status decreased their proactive aggression (see Figure 1). For reactive aggression, there was also an interaction between time by popularity trajectory, F(12, 2259.6) = 3.71, p < .001. Follow-up analyses indicated that (a) adolescents who maintained their unpopular status were perceived as the most reactively aggressive, (b) adolescents who became unpopular increased in reactive aggression over time, and (c) adolescents who lost their unpopular status decreased their reactive aggression (see Figure 2).
This study is one of the first studies showing that the functions of reactive and proactive aggression in gaining, maintaining, and losing popularity are not the same for all youth. Proactive aggression may help to gain or maintain popularity, but only for adolescents who already have a certain degree of popularity. In contrast, reactive aggression may put adolescents at risk for losing popularity, but only if they already are at the low end of the social hierarchy.

Authors

• Yvonne H. M. van den Berg, Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University
  Presenting Author

• William Burk, Behavioral Science Institute, Radboud University

• Toon Cillessen, Radboud University