Social Competencies and Peer Relationships: Longitudinal Associations with Peer Group and Adolescent Aggression Jill Antonishak, Ph.D. F. Christy McFarland Joseph P. Allen, Ph.D. University of Virginia Collaborators: Joanna ChangoAmanda HareKathleen B. McElhaney, Ph.D. Jennifer HaynesNell ManningJessica Meyer Erin MigaClaire Stephenson

Dual processes of similarity to peers Similarity to peers likely due to two processes Selection of similar friends Influence of peers Development of aggression and association with aggressive peers Potential mediating relationship of social competencies

Current study Examine pathways of influence between social competencies, peer group characteristics, and aggression Consider reciprocal relationships and peer group and individual competencies as a dynamic system Normative sample with a focus on aggressive behaviors

Participants 184 participants (and three of their peers) Equal number of males and females Assessed annually beginning at age 13 (for four years) Socio-economically diverse (median income=$40-60,000) 31% African American; 69% Caucasian

Measures Supportive Behavior Task (Allen et al., 2003) 6-minute videotaped interaction between adolescent and best friend Discussion of adolescent’s problem Connection/warmth factor  Ability to engage with their friend  Ability to demonstrate they value and care about their friend

Measures Aggression Youth Self-Report (Achenbach & Edelbrock, 1983) Aggression subscale (for example—is mean to others, gets in many fights, threatens people, etc)  Teen report  Peer report (friends from larger peer group)

Reciprocal relationships Latent difference score models (McArdle & Hamagami, 2001) Considers changes within a variable and the time-ordered relationships between variables How is affiliation with aggressive peers related to teen’s aggression and vice versa? Dynamic relationships between one variable and change in another variable

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Affiliation With aggressive peers Teen aggression ΔTeen aggression.24 t.60** Δ Affiliation with aggressive peers Aggression and affiliation with aggressive peers Aggression Affiliation with aggressive peers CFI=.93, RMSEA=.06

How do friendship competencies relate to changes in aggression?

Lack of warmth & connection Teen aggression Δ Teen aggression.34*.43* Δ Lack of warmth & connection Warmth and adolescent aggression Aggression Lack of warmth and connection CFI=.95, RMSEA=.03

Affiliation with aggressive peers Lack of warmth and connection Lack of warmth & connection Aggressive peers Δ Aggressive peers.37*.29* Δ Lack of warmth & connection Warmth and teen’s aggression CFI=.94, RMSEA=.03

Pathways Teen Aggression Affiliation with aggressive peers

Pathways Lack of warmth & connection Teen Aggression Affiliation with aggressive peers

Conclusions Social competencies play an important role in linking aggression and affiliation with aggressive peers. Social information processing (Dodge et al, 2003) “Deviancy training” Support for transactional framework and self-perpetuating cycle Point of intervention

For copies of related papers: Acknowledgements: We would like to thank the National Institute of Mental Health for funding awarded to Joseph P. Allen, Principal Investigator, (Grants #R01-MH44934, and R01-MH58066)