De mediërende en contextuele rol van leeftijdsgenoten in het verband tussen prosociaal gedrag en academische prestatie in de vroege adolescentie

Abstract

This longitudinal study examined the extent to which peer acceptance mediates the relationship between prosocial behavior and academic achievement among early adolescents across the first year of secondary education (3 waves, N = 1134 adolescents from 51 classes, Mage = 12.66, SD = .48). De extent to which peer status norms (behavior correlated with status) concerning prosocial behavior played a contextual role in the relationship between prosocial behavior and academic achievement, mediated by peer acceptance, was also examined. Results indicated that peer acceptance fully mediates the relationship between prosocial behavior and academic achievement. A higher level of prosocial behavior predicted a higher level of peer acceptance which in turn predicted higher academic achievement. Results indicated that peer status norms concerning prosocial behavior (measured on class level) play a contextual role in the mediated relationship between prosocial behavior and academic achievement. This study is the first to examine the role of peer acceptance and peer status norms in the relationship between prosocial behavior and academic achievement and provides important information about peer mechanisms that play a role in the academic achievement of early adolescents and in the relationship between prosocial behavior and academic achievement.