The role of best friends in educational identity formation in adolescence
van Doeselaar,L. Meeus,W.H.J. Koot,Hans M. Branje,Susan
van Doeselaar,L.
Meeus,W.H.J.
Koot,Hans M.
Branje,Susan
Abstract
This 4-year longitudinal study examined over-time associations between adolescents' educational identity, perceived best friends' balanced relatedness, and best friends' educational identity. Adolescents (N = 464, Mage = 14.0 years at baseline, 56.0% males, living in the Netherlands) and their self-nominated best friends reported on their educational commitment, in-depth exploration, and reconsideration. Target adolescents also reported on the level of balanced relatedness provided by their best friend. Cross-lagged panel models showed that balanced relatedness significantly predicted adolescents' reconsideration, and was predicted by in-depth exploration and, in an inconsistent pattern, by commitment. Best friends' educational identity did not positively predict adolescents' educational identity. Perceiving a best friend as high on balanced relatedness seems to reduce adolescents' problematic educational reconsideration, while, in turn, adaptive educational identity processes might foster balanced relatedness. Keywords: Educational identity, Balanced relatedness, Friend, Adolescence, Longitudinal
Description
Date
2016
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Volume Title
Publisher
Research Projects
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Keywords
Educational identity, Balanced relatedness, Friend, Adolescence, Longitudinal
Citation
van Doeselaar, L, Meeus, W H J, Koot, H M & Branje, S 2016, 'The role of best friends in educational identity formation in adolescence', Journal of Adolescence, vol. 47, pp. 28-37. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adolescence.2015.12.002