Effects of Peer Influences and Life-History Strategy on Chinese Junior High School Students’ Prosocial and Antisocial Behaviors

Nan Zhu,Lei Chang,Hui J Lu

doi:10.3389/feduc.2020.593744

Nan Zhu, Lei Chang + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2020.593744

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Abstract

Peer influence and life-history strategy have been shown in previous research as facilitators of adolescents’ social conduct. The current research uses the data from a two-wave, nationally representative survey of Chinese junior high school students to examine how different aspects of peer influence and life-history strategy in Grade 7 might contribute to prosocial and antisocial behaviors in Grade 8. We also considered differences between local and migrant students. The results showed that friend prestige predicted more prosocial behaviors and less antisocial behaviors, whereas friend deviancy predicted less prosocial behaviors and more antisocial behaviors. Moreover, the facilitating effect of friend deviancy on antisocial behaviors was amplified in migrant students more than for local students. Slow life-history strategy predicted more prosocial behaviors and, especially for migrant students, less antisocial behaviors. These findings indicate adolescents’ migrant backgrounds deserve extra attention when investigating peer influence and life-history strategy as distinct contributors to adolescents’ social conduct.

Highlights

The transition to adolescence has critical implications for the development of social behaviors (Chang et al, 2007), including prosocial behaviors and antisocial behaviors
Adolescents’ prosocial and antisocial behaviors are likely shaped by both peer influence (e.g., Wentzel et al, 2004; Barry and Wentzel, 2006; Dishion and Tipsord, 2011), and their life-history strategy (LHS) (Chisholm, 1993; Ellis et al, 2009; Del Giudice and Belsky, 2011)
This view is supported in this study, which examined nationally representative samples of Chinese junior high school students

Summary

Introduction

The transition to adolescence (which coincides with the entrance of the junior high school in many societies) has critical implications for the development of social behaviors (Chang et al, 2007), including prosocial behaviors (e.g., helping others and adhering to public rules) and antisocial behaviors (e.g., aggression and substance use). The current research sought to fill this research gap by highlighting the difference between current social environments (e.g., peer influence) and life-history factors. Nationally representative samples of Chinese adolescents, we examined predictions derived from the peer socialization theories (Dishion et al, 1996; Brechwald and Prinstein, 2011; Dishion and Tipsord, 2011) and the life-history theory (Del Giudice et al, 2015). These samples allowed us to examine hypotheses related to migrant students, who are common in China, and provides

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