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Predicting dating behavior from aggression and self-perceived social status in adolescence
Kirsty S Lee1, Heather Brittain1, Tracy Vaillancourt1,2
1Counselling Psychology, Faculty of Education, University of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
Aggressive Behavior
|March 15, 2018
Summary
Adolescent social status boosts dating, but indirect aggression becomes key for competition and mating advantages as teens mature. Direct aggression did not predict dating.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary psychology
- Adolescent development
- Social behavior
Background:
- Intrasexual competition is a key driver of social and mating strategies.
- Understanding adolescent social dynamics, including aggression and dating, is crucial for developmental research.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate longitudinal links between adolescent aggression, social status, and dating.
- To examine these relationships through the lens of intrasexual competition theory.
Main Methods:
- A 3-year longitudinal study of 536 adolescents (Grade 9 to 11).
- Self-report measures of direct/indirect aggression, social status, and dating partners.
- Cross-lagged panel modeling to analyze temporal associations.
Main Results:
- Direct aggression did not predict dating and was negatively linked to social status.
- Early social status predicted later indirect aggression.
- Social status predicted dating in Grade 9; indirect aggression predicted dating in Grade 10.
- No significant sex differences were found.
Conclusions:
- Evolutionary psychology effectively explains adolescent peer aggression.
- While social status facilitates dating opportunities, indirect aggression emerges as a primary strategy for intrasexual competition and mating advantages in adolescence.
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