Social-emotional competence and early adolescents' peer acceptance in school: Examining the role of afternoon cortisol.
The present study investigated the role of afternoon cortisol in social-emotional competence and peer acceptance in early adolescence. To date, research on basal cortisol activity and social development in childhood and adolescence has predominately focused on understanding maladjustment and dysfunc...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2018-01-01
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| Series: | PLoS ONE |
| Online Access: | http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC5819800?pdf=render |
| _version_ | 1811218998364209152 |
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| author | Eva Oberle |
| author_facet | Eva Oberle |
| author_sort | Eva Oberle |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The present study investigated the role of afternoon cortisol in social-emotional competence and peer acceptance in early adolescence. To date, research on basal cortisol activity and social development in childhood and adolescence has predominately focused on understanding maladjustment and dysfunction in development. The degree to which basal cortisol is also involved in positive adjustment and social functioning remains largely unexplored. A total of 154 early adolescents (46% female; Mean age = 11.26; SD = .65) from diverse ethnic backgrounds provided self-reports of perspective taking, peer reports of acceptance by classmates, peer reports of prosocial behaviors, and saliva samples to assess basal cortisol. As expected and in alignment with previous research, afternoon cortisol, perspective taking, prosocial behaviors, and peer acceptance were all positively correlated. Path analyses followed by bootstrapping analyses revealed that the direct path from higher afternoon cortisol to higher levels of prosocial behavior was fully mediated by perspective taking skills. The direct path from higher afternoon cortisol to peer acceptance was fully mediated by perspective taking skills and prosocial behavior. The findings are discussed within the broader context of previous research on cortisol and social adjustment in childhood and early adolescence. The practical relevance of the findings is considered. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T07:18:33Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ad1acfc5a7324b3fa6a5064be533f0ca |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1932-6203 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T07:18:33Z |
| publishDate | 2018-01-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS ONE |
| spelling | doaj.art-ad1acfc5a7324b3fa6a5064be533f0ca2022-12-22T03:42:24ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032018-01-01132e019263910.1371/journal.pone.0192639Social-emotional competence and early adolescents' peer acceptance in school: Examining the role of afternoon cortisol.Eva OberleThe present study investigated the role of afternoon cortisol in social-emotional competence and peer acceptance in early adolescence. To date, research on basal cortisol activity and social development in childhood and adolescence has predominately focused on understanding maladjustment and dysfunction in development. The degree to which basal cortisol is also involved in positive adjustment and social functioning remains largely unexplored. A total of 154 early adolescents (46% female; Mean age = 11.26; SD = .65) from diverse ethnic backgrounds provided self-reports of perspective taking, peer reports of acceptance by classmates, peer reports of prosocial behaviors, and saliva samples to assess basal cortisol. As expected and in alignment with previous research, afternoon cortisol, perspective taking, prosocial behaviors, and peer acceptance were all positively correlated. Path analyses followed by bootstrapping analyses revealed that the direct path from higher afternoon cortisol to higher levels of prosocial behavior was fully mediated by perspective taking skills. The direct path from higher afternoon cortisol to peer acceptance was fully mediated by perspective taking skills and prosocial behavior. The findings are discussed within the broader context of previous research on cortisol and social adjustment in childhood and early adolescence. The practical relevance of the findings is considered.http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC5819800?pdf=render |
| spellingShingle | Eva Oberle Social-emotional competence and early adolescents' peer acceptance in school: Examining the role of afternoon cortisol. PLoS ONE |
| title | Social-emotional competence and early adolescents' peer acceptance in school: Examining the role of afternoon cortisol. |
| title_full | Social-emotional competence and early adolescents' peer acceptance in school: Examining the role of afternoon cortisol. |
| title_fullStr | Social-emotional competence and early adolescents' peer acceptance in school: Examining the role of afternoon cortisol. |
| title_full_unstemmed | Social-emotional competence and early adolescents' peer acceptance in school: Examining the role of afternoon cortisol. |
| title_short | Social-emotional competence and early adolescents' peer acceptance in school: Examining the role of afternoon cortisol. |
| title_sort | social emotional competence and early adolescents peer acceptance in school examining the role of afternoon cortisol |
| url | http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC5819800?pdf=render |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT evaoberle socialemotionalcompetenceandearlyadolescentspeeracceptanceinschoolexaminingtheroleofafternooncortisol |