Early Adolescent-Peer Group Fit, Peer Relations, and Psychosocial Competence

Abstract

At three points during the school year, 101 sixth graders were studied to examine the within- and across-time interrelations among (a) the goodness of fit between early adolescents' temperamental characteristics and the temperamental preferences held by the peer group, (b) adolescents' peer relations, and (c) adolescents' psychosocial competence. Results were as follows: (a) All variables (ft peer relations, and competence) were highly stable across all times of testing; (b) for certain temperament characteristics, early adolescent-peer group fit was positively related to favorable peer nominations and to self- and teacher-rated competence; and (c) favorable peer nominations were highly correlated with both self- and teacher-rated competence. Additional analyses revealed many across time-across domain patterns of covariation. The implications of early adolescent-peer group fit for early adolescents' peer relations and psychosocial functioning are discussed.