The Most Popular Teens Gain Status Through A Combination Of Aggression And Kindness

By Emily Reynolds For many teenagers, being popular is the ultimate form of success. But how to get there is not always so clear. Past research has identified two types of popular teens: the aggressive and the prosocial. Aggressively popular teens are more likely to be coercive or hostile whilst seeking popularity; the prosocial are co-operative and more likely to be stereotypically “nice”. But in new research from Florida Atlantic University and the University of Montreal, published in Child Development, a third group has emerged: the “bistrategic” teen. This group is neither stereotypically aggressive nor stereotypically nice: instead, they walk the line, using aggression when needed but also being able to smooth things over with strategies usually seen in a more prosocial teen. And this seems to be such a successful tactic that these teens are the most popular of the lot. Researchers collected survey data from 568 students at three secondary schools in Montreal, twice while they were in the 7th grade (around 12 years old) and twice in the 8th grade. In some of these surveys, participants were asked to nominate members of their peer group who were particularly popular, likeable, aggressive or prone to being bullied, amongst other measures. Other surveys involved participants rating themselves on social and emotional measures like depression and loneliness. The team then used the data on popularity, aggression, and prosocial behavior in a statis...
Source: BPS RESEARCH DIGEST - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Tags: bullying Developmental Social Source Type: blogs