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Do academically-engaged adolescents experience social sanctions from the peer group?
David Schwartz1, Brynn M Kelly, Mylien T Duong
1University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA. davschw@usc.edu
Journal of Youth and Adolescence
|January 2, 2013
Summary
High-achieving adolescents may face peer rejection. This study found academic success correlated with negative peer interactions for boys, suggesting social marginalization in some school settings.
Area of Science:
- Social Psychology
- Developmental Psychology
- Educational Psychology
Background:
- Adolescent peer groups may hold negative attitudes towards academic achievement.
- High-achieving students may face social sanctions from peers.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the association between academic competence and peer relationship difficulties in adolescents.
- To investigate the role of gender in this association.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal study with 415 adolescents (193 boys, 222 girls) from an urban high school.
- Data collected over two consecutive school years using peer nomination inventories and school records.
- Assessed peer victimization, unpopularity, academic grades, and behavioral engagement.
Main Results:
- No significant longitudinal changes in social standing or academic functioning were found.
- Positive correlations were observed between academic achievement and problematic peer relationships.
- Gender moderated the association, with effects significant only for boys.
Conclusions:
- High-achieving adolescents may experience negative peer treatment or marginalization.
- Findings suggest that academic success can be linked to social difficulties among adolescent boys.
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