Our teacher likes you, so I like you: A social network approach to social referencing. (August 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Hendrickx, Marloes M.H.G.; Mainhard, Tim; Boor-Klip, Henrike J.; Brekelmans, Mieke
• Is Part Of: Journal of school psychology. Volume 63(2017)
• Page Start: 35
• Page End: 48
• Publication Date: 2017-08
• Subjects: Social referencing -- Teacher liking -- Peer liking -- Peer perceptions; School psychologists -- Periodicals; School psychology -- Periodicals; Psychology -- Periodicals; School Health Services -- Periodicals; Psychologues scolaires -- Périodiques; Child psychology -- Periodicals; Psychologie scolaire -- Périodiques; Onderwijspsychologie; School psychologists; School psychology; Periodicals; 155.405
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jsp.2017.02.004
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0022-4405

Abstract

Abstract: A teacher is a social referent for peer liking and disliking when students adjust their evaluations of a peer based on their perceptions of teacher liking and disliking for this peer. The present study investigated social referencing as an intra-individual process that occurs over time, using stochastic actor-oriented modeling with RSiena. The co-evolution of peer-perceived teacher liking and disliking networks with peer liking and disliking networks was analyzed in 52 fifth-grade classes in the Netherlands, with 1370 students ( M age = 10.60). Results showed that when a student viewed the teacher to like a peer, this student would also like this peer. Regarding disliking, there was a stronger effect in the opposite direction, indicating that students' disliking a peer increased the likelihood that they would view the peer as disliked by the teacher as well. In sum, partial evidence for social referencing as an intra-individual process was found. For teachers this implies that the cues they provide regarding their liking of a student, and not necessarily their disliking, may affect individual peers' liking of this student.