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Faculty Advisor

Dr. Yan Li

Abstract

Popularity during adolescence may pose a challenging social barrier, involving the desire for exclusivity and the need for broader peer connections. This study investigated the longitudinal effects of peer attachment on popularity among adolescents and the mediation process of relational aggression, expecting that peer attachment would be linked to reduced relational aggression, in turn relating to lower popularity at a later time point. The research participants (N = 569) included adolescents between the ages of 11 and 15 in the United States with data collection occurring at three time points. The path from Time 1 peer attachment to Time 2 relational aggression was negatively significant, Time 2 relational aggression was positively related to Time 3 popularity, while Time 1 peer attachment showed a negative effect. These findings showed that relational aggression positively predicted popularity, while peer attachment showed the opposite effect. Peer attachment showed a negative and significant total effect and indirect effect through reduced relational aggression on popularity. The results indicated that peer attachment was a negative predictor, and relational aggression was a positive predictor of future popularity. These relationships highlight how adolescents’ peer attachment is longitudinally linked to reduced popularity through the mediation of reduced use of relational aggression.

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