Citation

McElhaney KB, Antonishak J, Allen JP. Child Dev. 2008; 79(3): 720-731.

Affiliation

Department of Psychology, Box 400400, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904-4400, USA. kab2u@virginia.edu

Copyright

(Copyright © 2008, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/j.1467-8624.2008.01153.x

PMID

18489423

PMCID

PMC3073367

Abstract

This study examined the dual roles of adolescents' perceptions of social acceptance and sociometric popularity in predicting relative changes over time in adolescents' social functioning. Observational, self-report, and peer report data were obtained from 164 adolescents who were interviewed at age 13 years and then again at age 14 years, as well as their same-sex close friends. Adolescents who felt positively about their own social standing fared well over time, regardless of their level of sociometric popularity. Further, low popularity was particularly problematic for adolescents who failed to see themselves as fitting in. Results suggest that during adolescence, when it becomes increasingly possible for teens to choose their own social niches, it is possible to be socially successful without being broadly popular.

Language: en