Alone, together: Fear of missing out mediates the link between peer exclusion in WhatsApp classmate groups and psychological adjustment in early-adolescent teens

Because of the high prevalence of smartphone use in early adolescence, communication between classroom peers increasingly occurs via online chat groups. Recent studies indicate that online classmate groups are places in which different forms of peer exclusion can occur, including being banned from participating in the groups, not being invited to join them, or being shunned by online peers. In order to avoid being offended by peers, students may even decide to self-exclude from participating in the groups. Peer exclusion represents a significant source of suffering for early adolescents, with long-lasting consequences on their well-being. In this study, we investigated the relationship between exclusion from WhatsApp classmate groups and emotional symptoms among early adolescents. Additionally, the fear of missing out (FoMO) was examined as a potential mediator of the relationship between peer exclusion and emotional distress. The sample consisted of 398 middle schoolers (age: M = 12.54 years; SD = 0.96) residing in Italy. We found that positive relationships existed between peer exclusion, emotional symptoms, and FoMO. Findings supported the role of FoMO as a mediator in the link between peer exclusion and emotional symptoms. Results are discussed in light of the implications for the assessment of the quality of student-student interactions.

Maternal differential treatment and child socioemotional competencies: A multi-informant longitudinal study of Chinese families

Research based on Western communities indicates that parents’ differential treatment may be linked to their children’s psychological and behavioral problems. Very little is known, however, about the potential implications of parental differential treatment for child socioemotional competencies or in non-Western communities. Focusing on families from Hong Kong, China, this multi-informant study tested the longitudinal associations of mothers’ differential warmth and conflict with their children’s socioemotional competencies and examined whether sibling dyad gender composition and age spacing moderated these associations. On two occasions about 12 months apart, data were collected from two children in each of 189 families and the mothers and class teachers of these children. At Time 1, older and younger children averaged 10.06 ( SD = 1.07) and 7.82 ( SD = 0.95) years of age, respectively, and 31% of older and 48% of younger children were boys. At Time 1, mothers provided demographic information and rated their warmth and conflict with each of their two children. At Times 1 and 2, teachers rated children on their emotion regulation, peer exclusion, and prosocial behaviors, and children rated their own empathy. Multilevel models revealed that, controlling for demographic factors, average mother-child relationships, and prior levels of competencies of children and their siblings, children who received less favorable treatment relative to their siblings exhibited decreases in socioemotional competencies over time. Sibling dyad gender composition and age spacing did not emerge as significant moderators, however.

Peer Exclusion: a Social Convention or Moral Decision? Cross-Cultural Insights into Students’ Social Reasoning

In this study, we examined the role of culture on early adolescents’ social reasoning about peer exclusion. A total of 80 U.S. and 149 Taiwanese early adolescents (U.S.: Mage = 11.00, SDage = 0.48; Taiwan: Mage = 10.45, SDage = 0.39) independently completed a social reasoning essay about peer exclusion. Analyses of the essays based on social-moral theories showed that U.S. students tended to reason about peer exclusion based on social conventional thinking whereas Taiwanese students were more attentive to personal and moral issues. Despite this difference, both groups of students referred to some common social-moral concepts while reasoning about peer exclusion, including consideration of personal benefit, harming others’ welfare, personal concern, and punishment. The use of social reasoning strategies was similar across the two groups of students except that Taiwanese students relied more on judgment (i.e., social-moral evaluation of someone’s social conduct) whereas U.S. students generated more alternative hypotheses (i.e., presenting new hypotheses or interpretations about the given issue).