UUnniivveerrssiittyy ooff SSoouutthh FFlloorriiddaa DDiiggiittaall CCoommmmoonnss @@ UUnniivveerrssiittyy ooff SSoouutthh FFlloorriiddaa USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations USF Graduate Theses and Dissertations 6-28-2016 TThhee RRoollee ooff PPeeeerr SSttaattuuss iinn tthhee SSeellff aanndd AAggggrreessssiioonn iinn AAddoolleesscceennccee aanndd EEaarrllyy AAdduulltthhoooodd Danielle Findley-Van Nostrand University of South Florida, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/etd Part of the Psychology Commons SScchhoollaarr CCoommmmoonnss CCiittaattiioonn Findley-Van Nostrand, Danielle, "The Role of Peer Status in the Self and Aggression in Adolescence and Early Adulthood" (2016). USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations. https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/etd/6236 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the USF Graduate Theses and Dissertations at Digital Commons @ University of South Florida. It has been accepted for inclusion in USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ University of South Florida. For more information, please contact [email protected]. The Role of Peer Status in the Self and Aggression in Adolescence and Early Adulthood by Danielle Findley-Van Nostrand A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Department of Psychology College of Arts and Sciences University of South Florida Major Professor: Tiina Ojanen, Ph.D. Jennifer Bosson, Ph.D. Judith Bryant, Ph.D. Jamie Goldenberg, Ph.D. Diana Rancourt, Ph.D. Joseph Vandello, Ph.D. Date of Approval: June 6, 2016 Keywords: peer relations, social status, self-perceptions, aggressive behavior Copyright © 2016, Danielle Findley-Van Nostrand DEDICATION I dedicate this work to the many who have supported me throughout my graduate career. First and foremost, I dedicate this to my husband, Caleb. You have been my best friend from the time we met, and your generous love and support mean the world to me. You obviously deserve an honorary spousal degree for your involvement. I love you and I can’t wait for our next chapters. To my son, Ian, who is far too young to understand how much he has taught me already. I now know not only how to type while caring for a newborn, but I have also learned just how much love one can have for another being. I can’t wait to see who you become. Everything we do is for you! I also dedicate this to my mother, Diane, who was taken too soon. Her pride in me drove me from a young age and was apparent to anyone around her. To my father, David, who once told me that I will go to college, even if he had to drag me every day by himself. You have been steadfast in your encouragement and faith in me, and have always demonstrated hard work, grit, and fortitude (which, it turns out, are needed to complete a Ph.D.!). To Kelly, who has an inspirational positivity and generous spirit. I appreciate your unwavering confidence in me. Thank you both for all you do (and for letting me do some of my best writing at your home!). To my siblings in all of their forms: David, Jen, Rachel, Dan, and Hannah, who I can count on for endless love and support (despite the distance between some of us). I also want to include a special thank you to Jeannine and Alan, who assumed the role of supportive parents-in-law as though they have known me forever. Thank you for being so wonderful! Finally, I dedicate this dissertation to the many friends and family members who have helped by offering their companionship in any form, even that of a listening ear over a drink. Many times, you have had more confidence in me than I did in myself. I love you all, I thank you all, and I can only hope I get the opportunity to return the support you have shown me. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I have been fortunate to receive support from a number of people I am happy to call colleagues. I would like to express my appreciation for my advisor, Tiina Ojanen, for her guidance and mentorship over the years, and for encouraging me to pursue a doctorate when I was still an undergraduate. Also thank you to my dissertation committee, including: Judy Bryant, Jennifer Bosson, Jamie Goldenberg, Diana Rancourt, and Joe Vandello, for your advice, discussions, and brainstorming at every stage of my major area paper and dissertation projects. You have molded my thinking and writing for the better. Also, thank you to Richard Pollenz for chairing my dissertation defense, lending me your wisdom, and providing opportunities to be involved with exciting initiatives at USF. Finally, thank you to the countless undergraduate research assistants who worked in the lab across the years. I have been fortunate to serve as your mentor, and appreciate your assistance in data collection and many other tasks. i TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Tables ...................................................................................................................................v List of Figures ................................................................................................................................ vi Abstract ......................................................................................................................................... vii Introduction ......................................................................................................................................1 Dimensions of Peer Status: Acceptance and Popularity ......................................................3 Acceptance: Likeability by Peers.............................................................................3 Popularity: Reputational Status/Power among Peers ...............................................5 Linking Peer Status and Self-Perceptions: Theoretical Considerations .............................8 Peer Status and Social Cognition: Current Research on Self-Perceptions and Social Goals ..................................................................................................................................11 Social Goals as Moderators in Peer Status-Self Associations. ..............................13 Peer Status and the Self in Adulthood ...............................................................................15 Peer Status and Aggression: Replicating and Extending Previous Research ...................17 Study 1 ...........................................................................................................................................21 Aims and Hypotheses ........................................................................................................21 Method ...............................................................................................................................23 Participants .............................................................................................................23 Measures ................................................................................................................24 Peer regard .................................................................................................24 Self-concept clarity ....................................................................................25 Self-esteem .................................................................................................25 Aggression .................................................................................................25 Social goals ................................................................................................25 Procedure ...............................................................................................................26 Results ................................................................................................................................26 Differences by School ............................................................................................26 Differences by Gender ...........................................................................................27 Bivariate Correlations ............................................................................................27 Associations among Peer Status, Self-Perceptions, and Aggression .....................28 Alternative model 1....................................................................................29 Alternative model 2....................................................................................29 Interactive Associations .........................................................................................32 Conclusion .........................................................................................................................32 Studies 2-4: Experimental Effects of Peer Status ..........................................................................36 Aims and Hypotheses ........................................................................................................38 ii Study 2 ...........................................................................................................................................40 Method ...............................................................................................................................40 Participants .............................................................................................................40 Measures ................................................................................................................41 Manipulation check ....................................................................................41 Trait social goals ........................................................................................41 State self-esteem ........................................................................................41 State self-concept clarity ............................................................................42 State hostility .............................................................................................43 Aggressive responses .................................................................................43 Procedure ...............................................................................................................43 Results ................................................................................................................................44 Manipulation Check ...............................................................................................44 Main Effects of Peer Status....................................................................................44 Interactive Effects ..................................................................................................45 Exploratory Associations among Study Variables ................................................46 Conclusions ........................................................................................................................46 Study 3 ...........................................................................................................................................48 Method ...............................................................................................................................48 Participants .............................................................................................................48 Measures ................................................................................................................49 Manipulation check ....................................................................................49 Trait social goals ........................................................................................49 State self-esteem ........................................................................................49 State self-concept clarity ............................................................................49 State hostility .............................................................................................49 Aggressive responses .................................................................................49 Procedure ...............................................................................................................49 Results ................................................................................................................................50 Manipulation Check ...............................................................................................50 Main Effects of Peer Status....................................................................................50 Interactive Effects ..................................................................................................51 Exploratory Associations among Study Variables ................................................51 Conclusions ........................................................................................................................52 Study 4 ...........................................................................................................................................53 Method ...............................................................................................................................53 Participants .............................................................................................................53 Measures ................................................................................................................54 Manipulation check ....................................................................................54 Trait social goals ........................................................................................54 State self-esteem ........................................................................................54 State self-concept clarity ............................................................................54 State hostility .............................................................................................54 Aggressive responses .................................................................................54 iii Procedure ...............................................................................................................54 Results ................................................................................................................................55 Manipulation Check ...............................................................................................55 Main Effects of Peer Status....................................................................................56 Interactive Effects ..................................................................................................56 Exploratory Associations among Study Variables ................................................57 Conclusions ........................................................................................................................57 Discussion ......................................................................................................................................59 Direct Effects of Peer Status on Self-Concept Clarity and Self-Esteem ...........................59 Experimental Effects of Peer Status ......................................................................61 Peer Status and Self-Perceptions: Moderation by Social Goals ........................................63 Effects of Peer Status on Hostility and Aggression ...........................................................64 Peer Status and Hostility in Adults ........................................................................66 Limitations and Future Directions .....................................................................................68 Tables .............................................................................................................................................72 Figures............................................................................................................................................88 References ......................................................................................................................................99 Appendix A: Study 1 Self-Report Measures ..............................................................................117 Appendix B: Study 1 Peer-Report Measures ...............................................................................119 Appendix C: Studies 2-4: Trait/Moderator Measures ..................................................................120 Appendix D: Studies 2-4: Outcome Measures.............................................................................122 Appendix E: Studies 2-4: Manipulation Check Items .................................................................128 Appendix F: Studies 2 and 3: Peer Status Manipulation, Writing Task ......................................129 Appendix G: Study 4: Peer Status Manipulation, False-Feedback Task .....................................131 Appendix H: Study 4: Debriefing Statement ..............................................................................137 Appendix I: Study 1: USF IRB Approval Letters: Initial and Continuing Review .....................138 Appendix J: Studies 2-4: USF IRB Approval Letter: Initial and Amendment ............................143 Appendix K: Study 1: Informed Consent Documents .................................................................148 Appendix L: Studies 2 and 4: Informed Consent Page ................................................................152 iv Appendix M: Study 3: Informed Consent Page ...........................................................................155 v LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Study 1 Means, Standard Deviations, Means by Gender, and Mean-Level Differences by Gender .......................................................................................................73 Table 2. Bivariate Correlations among Study 1 Variables. ..........................................................74 Table 3. Summary of Peer Status by Social Goal Interactions in Association with Self-Concept Clarity and Self-Esteem ...............................................................................75 Table 4. Study 2: Manipulation Check Items by Status Condition................................................76 Table 5: Study 2: Main Effects of Peer Status on Self-Concept Clarity, Self-Esteem, Hostility, Anger, and Aggressive and Assertive Responses to Provocation .....................77 Table 6. Study 2: Interaction Effects between Status and Social Goals on Self-Concept Clarity and Self-Esteem. ...................................................................................................78 Table 7. Study 2: Correlations, Means, and Standard Deviations of the Study Variables ............79 Table 8. Study 3: Manipulation Check Items by Status Condition................................................80 Table 9: Study 3: Main Effects of Peer Status on Self-Concept Clarity, Self-Esteem, Hostility, Anger, and Aggressive and Assertive Responses to Provocation .....................81 Table 10. Study 3: Interaction Effects between Status and Social Goals on Self-Concept Clarity and Self-Esteem. ...................................................................................................82 Table 11. Study 3: Correlations, Means, and Standard Deviations of the Study Variables ..........83 Table 12. Study 4: Manipulation Check Items by Status Condition..............................................84 Table 13: Study 4: Main Effects of Peer Status on Self-Concept Clarity, Self-Esteem, Hostility, Anger, and Aggressive and Assertive Responses to Provocation .....................85 Table 14. Study 4: Interaction Effects between Status and Social Goals on Self-Concept Clarity and Self-Esteem. ...................................................................................................86 Table 15. Study 4: Correlations, Means, and Standard Deviations of the Study Variables ..........87