Explaining Why Some Popular Youth Are Better Liked Than Others: Prosocial and Aggressive Behaviour

The present study sought to determine whether behavioural styles (i.e., how an individual typically acts) account for variability in liking and disliking of popular preadolescents and early adolescents (i.e., individuals high in social rank). Based on previous findings, it was hypothesized that popular youth who scored high in prosocial behaviour would be better liked and less disliked than aggressive popular youth. Data were collected in 2008 and 2009 from a large sample (N = 1033) of elementary school students. The Revised Class Play measure was used to solicit classmate nominations for popularity, liking, disliking, prosocial behaviour, and overt and relational aggression. Focal participants were 153 students (58 boys, 95 girls) who scored > 1 SD above the mean on peer-nominated popularity. A two-step cluster analysis revealed three behavioural clusters of popular youth: prosocial (N = 52; n girls = 38), relationally aggressive (N = 74; n girls = 43), and highly (overtly and relationally) aggressive (N = 27; n girls = 14). Significant variability in liking and disliking was associated with behaviour, unqualified by gender, and effect sizes were large, accounting for 19% and 34% of the variance respectively. Prosocial popular youth were most liked and least disliked, highly aggressive youth were most disliked, and relationally aggressive and highly aggressive youth were moderately well-liked. While results suggest that the majority of popular youth use aggression to achieve or maintain social rank, high levels of liking afforded to prosocial popular youth signify the importance of enabling youth to achieve social rank via prosocial or other peer-valued behaviour. Future research should aim to understand why aggressive popular youth are moderately liked