Poster #80 - Reaping Benefits of Network Centrality: Moderation Effects of Closeness on Association between Aggression and Popularity

• In Event: Poster Session 12

Abstract

Adolescents’ popularity is highly related to their social behaviors (Hawley, 1999). They may also use bistrategic behaviors (i.e., both aggressive and prosocial behaviors) to secure resources and improve social status (Hawley, 2003). Limited research has investigated these processes in the context of social network. The current study assessed the moderation effects of network centrality (i.e., closeness) on the efficacy of social behaviors in linking to popularity for early adolescent boys and girls. Network centrality signifies one’s advantageous embeddedness in the information circulation. It may bring social capital to enhance the influence of social behaviors on peer status. Furthermore, it has been reported that girls engage in more relational aggression (RA) while boys resort more to overt aggression (OA; Crick & Bigbee, 1998), network centrality is likely to enhance the effects of RA and OA on popularity for girls and boys, respectively.
Participants (N = 289, girls = 157) were 4th and 6th graders from two elementary schools in Eastern China. Peer nominations were used to assess popularity, OA, RA, and prosocial behaviors (PB) (Cillessen & Mayeux, 2011; Crick & Grotpeter, 1995). Participants also reported social groups they had witnessed in their class, which was used to generate closeness as the network centrality measure. Regressions were performed to analyze how closeness moderated the associations between popularity and aggressive and prosocial behaviors as well as bistrategic behaviors ( RA/OA x PB). Gender moderation was also examined to explore gender differences.
Regression results showed that no significant effects related to bistrategic behavior interactions (ps > .05). Prosocial behaviors showed significant main effects (βs ranged from .49 to .57) but did not interact with other variables. OA was significantly moderated by closeness (β = .21 , p < . 01). Specifically, as closeness increased, the effect of OA on popularity changed from negative to non-significant (see Figure 1). Additionally, a three-way interaction (RA x closeness centrality x gender) was found (β = -.36, p < .05). Follow-up analysis showed that RA was significantly moderated by closeness for both genders (β = .56, p < .001 for boys, β = .16, p < .01 for girls). As closeness increased, the effect of RA on popularity changed from negative to non-significant for boys, and changed from negative to positive for girls (see Figure 2).
The study highlights the vital role of network centrality that mitigates or enhances the effects of aggressive behaviors on social status. Social behaviors should not be evaluated alone but considered in relation to available social resources. Cultural influences and gender effects will be discussed.

Authors

• Lily Xiao, DePaul University
  Presenting Author

• Ziyue Cui

• Yan Li, DePaul University