ERIC Number: EJ963724
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2011-Jul
Pages: 29
Abstractor: As Provided
Reference Count: 59
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0272-930X
Peer Acceptance and Friendship as Predictors of Early Adolescents' Adjustment across the Middle School Transition
Kingery, Julie Newman; Erdley, Cynthia A.; Marshall, Katherine C.
Merrill-Palmer Quarterly: Journal of Developmental Psychology, v57 n3 Article 2 p215-243 Jul 2011
This study examines several aspects of adolescents' pretransition peer relationships as predictors of their adjustment to middle school. Participants were 365 students (175 boys; 99% Caucasian) involved in the Time 1 (the spring of fifth grade) and Time 2 (the fall of sixth grade) assessments. Adolescents completed measures that assessed peer acceptance, number of friends, the quality of a specific mutual friendship, loneliness, depression, self-esteem, and involvement in school. Academic achievement and absentee data were obtained from student files. Regression analyses indicated that the pretransition peer variables predicted posttransition loneliness, self-esteem, school involvement, and academic achievement. The patterns of prediction varied slightly for each adjustment variable, with the most robust relationship being between peer acceptance and achievement. Results of repeated-measures MANOVAs indicated no differential changes in adjustment across time by gender. Implications for including a peer component in programs that prepare students for the middle school transition are discussed. (Contains 4 tables.)
Descriptors: Middle Schools, School Involvement, Academic Achievement, Friendship, Adolescents, Grade 6, Grade 5, Peer Acceptance, Depression (Psychology), Student Evaluation, Measures (Individuals), Self Esteem, Attendance, Multiple Regression Analysis, Prediction, Educational Administration, Program Effectiveness
Wayne State University Press. The Leonard N. Simons Building, 4809 Woodward Avenue, Detroit, MI 48201-1309. Tel: 800-978-7323; Fax: 313-577-6131; Web site: http://wsupress.wayne.edu/journals/merrill/merrillj.html
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Grade 5; Grade 6; Middle Schools
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers: N/A

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