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Ethnic Differences in Associations Among Popularity, Likability, and Trajectories of Adolescents' Alcohol Use and Frequency
Author(s) -
ChoukasBradley Sophia,
Giletta Matteo,
Neblett Enrique W.,
Prinstein Mitchell J.
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
child development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.103
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1467-8624
pISSN - 0009-3920
DOI - 10.1111/cdev.12333
Subject(s) - popularity , ethnic group , moderation , psychology , socioeconomic status , aggression , developmental psychology , context (archaeology) , peer group , poison control , demography , social psychology , medicine , population , environmental health , paleontology , sociology , anthropology , biology
Two‐part latent growth models examined associations between two forms of peer status (popularity, likability) and adolescents' alcohol use trajectories throughout high school; ethnicity was examined as a moderator. Ninth‐grade low‐income adolescents ( N = 364; M age = 15.08; 52.5% Caucasian; 25.8% African American; 21.7% Latino) completed sociometric nominations of peer status and aggression at baseline, and reported their alcohol use every 6 months. After controlling for gender, aggression, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status, popularity—but not likability—prospectively predicted alcohol use trajectories. However, these effects were moderated by ethnicity, suggesting popularity as a risk factor for alcohol use probability and frequency among Caucasian and Latino, but not African American adolescents. Results suggest that developmental correlates of peer status should be considered within cultural context.