Delimiting the role of peers in pre- and early adolescents’ goal pursuit : relations among peer acceptance, social responsibility goals, and personal/mastery goal orientation

Peers have opportunities to influence students' motivation, including the achievement and social goals they pursue (Pintrich & Schunk, 2002). The present study utilized peer and self-report data from 356 elementary school students (18 grade 4 to 7 classrooms) to explore relations among peer acceptance, social responsibility goals, and personal/mastery goal orientation in pre- and early adolescence. Overall, (a) girls had more peer prosocial goals than boys, (b) preadolescent boys and early adolescent girls had the highest levels of peer acceptance, and (c) preadolescents pursued more personal/mastery goals than early adolescents. Additional differences emerged in terms of the social responsibility goals pre- and early adolescents pursue. These results are discussed, particularly, the importance of promoting social and academic goals during adolescence.Education, Faculty ofEducational and Counselling Psychology, and Special Education (ECPS), Department ofGraduat