Poster #228 - The Power of Weak Ties: Social Network Influences on Jealousy and Relational Aggression in Adolescence

• In Event: 1-115 - Poster Session 03
  In Poster Session: PS 03 Section - Social Relationships

Integrative Statement

In a seminal paper in sociology, Granovetter (1983) argued that attention to “weak ties” (e.g., friends of friends and the ties with and among these) can enhance the understanding of inter- and intra-personal behavior and outcomes by recognizing the value of these ties as social stimuli and sources of information and influence. In the decades following, Granovetter’s assertion has received confirmation in organizational settings but limited attention among developmental scholars. In the present work we tested Granovetter’s assertion and premises from interdependence theory in social psychology to understand how a vulnerability to jealousy over a specific best friend might relate to the development of a reputation for relational aggression with peers. We hypothesized that young adolescents with many friends would be less jealous over one, specific friend and that jealousy would lead more predictably to relational aggression when one’s very best friend has many other friends (rivals) and when the target was only tenuously connected to this network of weak ties.

Participants were a subsample of 700 (423 girls) fifth through eighth graders from a larger (2,100) sociometric analysis of five middle schools. To be eligible, consent and participation was required of everyone in the target’s best friend’s network of friends. Children made unlimited friendship choices and best friends were identified through reciprocal best friend choices. A four-item behavioral nomination measure assessed peer reputation for relational aggression (a = .91).
Girls had higher reputations for aggression and reported more jealousy over their best friend than boys (p < .000 and p = .004, respectively). Girls also had more friends (p = .024) than boys. However, girls’ and boys’ best friends had similar numbers of other friends and the proportion of these friends of the friend who considered the target a friend were also similar (p = .068). Regression analyses indicated that teens with more friends, fewer best friendship rivals, and friends with a greater proportion of their best friends’ friendship network were less aggressive. The latter two findings were not expected. As in the past, vulnerability to jealousy was modestly (r = .15) related to aggressiveness. However, moderation analyses indicated a role both for the number of friends a participant had (Figure 1) and the marginality of the participant in the very best friend’s friendship network (Figure 2). Jealousy over the best friend was more strongly related to aggressiveness when participants had fewer other friends themselves and when participants had many friendship ties with their very best friend’s other friends (i.e., less marginalized).

Findings support some aspects of interdependence theory; For example, having few relationship alternatives strengthened the link between jealousy and aggression to others, presumably because this made them more dependent on each friend. Granovetter’s assertion of the power of weak ties also received support, although our application of it produced findings almost opposite of expectations. Vulnerability to jealousy had more robust links to aggression when the number of friendship rivals was small and the target was highly linked to this network through their own friendship ties.

Authors

• Hwaheun Kim, California State University - Bakersfield
  Presenting Author

• Jeff Parker, The University of Alabama
  Non-Presenting Author