Reciprocal influences of victimization, perceived social preference, and self-concept in adolescence

Abstract

In order to better understand self-concept development, the association between adolescents' social self-perceptions and their peers' perceptions of them was examined in a three-year longitudinal study of 491 middle school students. Each spring for three years, adolescents' peer-perceived victimization, metaperceptions of their social preference by peers (i.e., Who likes me the most/least?), and self-reported social self-concept scores were obtained. The associations among these constructs across time were examined with structural equation modeling. The results supported a model in which adolescents' reputations as victims of peer harassment influenced both their subsequent metaperceptions of social preference and their self-concept. Additionally, bi-directional influences were found between adolescents' self-concepts and their metaperceptions of social preference over time. The discussion highlights the practical implications of the associations between adolescents' peer experiences and their social perceptions and underscores the utility of longitudinal designs for uncovering the temporal order in which self-, meta- or other perceptions influence each other.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Amy D. Bellmore

This research was supported in part by a grant from the University of Connecticut Research Foundation and by an American Psychological Association/Institute of Education Sciences Postdoctoral Education Research Training fellowship under Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences grant number R305U030004.