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How to Attain a Popularity Goal? Examining the Mediation Effects of Popularity Determinants and Behaviors

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Abstract

Popularity has been examined extensively in recent years, particularly regarding its behavioral correlates. However, much less is known about the social cognitive processes related to popularity and the strategies to attain popularity. This study examined the longitudinal association between popularity goal and popularity status by focusing on the mediation effects of perceived contributing behaviors for popularity (i.e., popularity determinants) and actual behaviors in a sample of 5th and 6th graders (N = 382; 47% girls) in China. The results revealed that participants’ popularity goal indirectly related to aggression, academic performance, and prosocial behaviors through the mediation of the corresponding popularity determinant perceptions. Furthermore, participants’ popularity goal longitudinally predicted their later popularity status changes through the mediation of perceptions of prosocial behaviors as a popularity determinant and prosocial behaviors. The findings of this study were discussed in relationship to their cultural context.

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to the adolescents and teachers who participated in this research, and the schools and research assistants who facilitated the data collection.

Authors’ Contributions

YL conceived the study, participated in its design, conducted the data analysis, interpreted the results, and drafted the manuscript. YH participated in the study design, conducted data analysis, helped interpret the results, and helped draft the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Data Sharing and Declaration

This manuscript’s data will not be deposited.

Funding

This research was supported by a Faculty Development Summer Research Grant and a Competitive Research Leave awarded to the first author by DePaul University.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, DePaul University, Chicago, IL, 60614, USA

    Yan Li & Yinyan Hu

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  1. Yan Li
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  2. Yinyan Hu
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Correspondence to Yan Li.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical Approval

All procedures in this study were approved by the Institutional Review Board at DePaul University.

Informed Consent

Parental permission were obtained before students’ participation. Participating students provided assent before their participation. Teachers provided consent for their participation.

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Li, Y., Hu, Y. How to Attain a Popularity Goal? Examining the Mediation Effects of Popularity Determinants and Behaviors. J Youth Adolescence 47, 1842–1852 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-018-0882-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-018-0882-x

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