Peer Reputation Configurations and Associations with Friendship Adjustment

Abstract

Peer reputation (PR) refers to how peer groups collectively view an individual in terms of socio-behavioral characteristics, such as aggression, social withdrawal, leadership, and prosociality. Despite considerable research on PR, few studies have considered PRs in relation to indices of friendship, particularly with a person-centered approach. The goal of the current study was to adopt such an approach and identify peer reputation configurations and their defining characteristics, and to examine how such configurations are linked to friendship prevalence and quality. Four hundred and twenty-six Italian seventh-grade students (57.3% male, M_age = 12.07) completed peer nomination measures of PR and reported on their friendships. Their mutual best friends were subsequently determined, and a friendship quality measure was completed. Teachers rated participants’ problem behaviors and competencies. Cluster analytic methods produced four PR configurations that were defined by the following characteristics: (1) Shy/Excluded/Victimized, (2) Normative, (3) Aggressive/Arrogant, and (4) Prosocial/Popular. Teacher ratings supported these configurations such that Prosocial/Popular students were rated the lowest in problem behaviors and Shy/Excluded/Victimized and Aggressive/Arrogant were the highest in learning problems. Additional analyses showed numerous linkages between the configurations and friendship. For instance, Prosocial/Popular students were more likely to have mutual and satisfying friendships relative to students in the other groups. These findings provide new insights into the complex linkages between group- and dyadic-level peer experiences during early adolescence and may inform prevention and intervention efforts aimed at Shy/Excluded/Victimized youth struggling with peers.

Keywords:

• friendship
• peer reputation
• person-centered approaches
• young adolescents

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Authors’ contribution

MGLC conceived of the study, participated in its design and coordination and drafted the manuscript; PM participated in the design and interpretation of the data, performed statistical analysis, and drafted the manuscript; ALC participated in the design and coordination of the study; CI participated in drafting the manuscript; FL helped to draft the manuscript. JCB helped to draft the manuscript; KHR participated in the study design and coordination and drafted the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Ethics approval

The Psychology Department’s ethics committee approved this study and its procedures, strictly following the ethical principles by the Italian Association of Psychology (2015). The study was performed in accordance with the ethical standards as laid down in the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are openly available at https://figshare.com/s/d186d2bff40a5a493988.

Additional information

Funding

This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors. Kenneth H. Rubin’s participation in the preparation of this manuscript was supported by a grant from the National Institute of Mental Health: R01-MH103253.

Notes on contributors

Maria Grazia Lo Cricchio

Maria Grazia Lo Cricchio is assistant professor of developmental psychology at the University of Basilicata, Italy. Her research interests focus on autonomy development, immigration, aggressive behaviors, parenting, adolescents’ adjustment.

Pasquale Musso

Pasquale Musso is associate professor of developmental psychology at the University of Bari Aldo Moro, Italy. His research interests focus on social development of adolescents and emerging adults, positive development, acculturation processes, socio-psychological adaptation, mutual intercultural relations.

Alida Lo Coco

Alida Lo Coco is full professor of developmental psychology at the University of Palermo, Italy. Her research interests focus on social and emotional development from childhood to adulthood, socialization practices in immigrant families, psychological well-being in emerging adults.

Cristiano Inguglia

Cristiano Inguglia is associate professor of developmental psychology at the University of Palermo (Italy). His research interests focus on social development of adolescents and emerging adults, positive development, acculturation processes, socio-psychological adaptation, mutual intercultural relations.

Francesca Liga

Francesca Liga is full professor of developmental psychology at the University of Messina, Italy. Her research interests focus on risk and protective factors in adolescence, process of adolescents’ individuation, psychological wellbeing in emerging adults.

Julie C. Bowker

Julie C. Bowker is full professor of psychology at the University at Buffalo, USA. Her research interests focus on individual differences in socioemotional behaviors (e.g., social withdrawal, aggression), peer relationships and friendships, internalizing problems.

Kenneth H. Rubin

Kenneth H. Rubin is full professor of human development and quantitative methodology and distinguished scholar-teacher at the University of Maryland, College Park, USA. His research focuses on social development, peer relationships, parenting and parent-child relationships, developmental psychopathology, interventions for young children at risk for the development of anxiety, culture.