Summary articles exam 2 ‘Adolescent
development’
Developmental changes in the priority of perceived
status in childhood and adolescence
Goal of this study: To understand the degree to which children and adolescents prioritize reputational
status over other important areas of their social and academic lives, and how this phenomenon varies
across development.
Findings:
- Developmental changes:
o As expected, the priority of peer reputation increased from childhood into
adolescence, peaked in the late middle school and early high school years, and then
leveled off.
Why? As children become adolescents, they increasingly rely on peers for
social comparison and emotional support.
o Adolescents often prioritized status over romantic interests.
Why? Serious romantic interests do not emerge until later in adolescence.
o There was a greater conflict when the achievement goals were academic than when
they were athletic.
Why? Academic success becomes more negatively associated with status,
meanwhile, athletic success has a consistently positive relationship with
status.
o Positive association between age and willingness to violate accepted rules for good
behavior in favor of increasing one’s status.
College students were away from home and having much freedom.
- Effects of gender:
o Males were generally more willing to compromise friendship, romance, and
compassion in favor of reputational status.
Why? Females are better at balancing affiliation and perceived status and are
more concerned about how their behavior influences their relationships than
males are.
o Males were not more willing than females to compromise achievement in favor of
status.
- Effects of ethnicity: The conflict between perceived status and academic achievement was
experienced more acutely by Whites than by other ethnic groups. But: Conclusions regarding
ethnicity are limited because of the demographic characteristics of the sample.
Limitations:
- It was a hypothetical situation (you also need actual behavior).
development’
Developmental changes in the priority of perceived
status in childhood and adolescence
Goal of this study: To understand the degree to which children and adolescents prioritize reputational
status over other important areas of their social and academic lives, and how this phenomenon varies
across development.
Findings:
- Developmental changes:
o As expected, the priority of peer reputation increased from childhood into
adolescence, peaked in the late middle school and early high school years, and then
leveled off.
Why? As children become adolescents, they increasingly rely on peers for
social comparison and emotional support.
o Adolescents often prioritized status over romantic interests.
Why? Serious romantic interests do not emerge until later in adolescence.
o There was a greater conflict when the achievement goals were academic than when
they were athletic.
Why? Academic success becomes more negatively associated with status,
meanwhile, athletic success has a consistently positive relationship with
status.
o Positive association between age and willingness to violate accepted rules for good
behavior in favor of increasing one’s status.
College students were away from home and having much freedom.
- Effects of gender:
o Males were generally more willing to compromise friendship, romance, and
compassion in favor of reputational status.
Why? Females are better at balancing affiliation and perceived status and are
more concerned about how their behavior influences their relationships than
males are.
o Males were not more willing than females to compromise achievement in favor of
status.
- Effects of ethnicity: The conflict between perceived status and academic achievement was
experienced more acutely by Whites than by other ethnic groups. But: Conclusions regarding
ethnicity are limited because of the demographic characteristics of the sample.
Limitations:
- It was a hypothetical situation (you also need actual behavior).
