Long-Term Effects of Acceptance and Rejection by Parents and Peers on Educational Attainment: A Study from Pre-Adolescence to Early Adulthood

Abstract

Acceptance and rejection by parents and peers play an important role in pre-adolescents’ educational outcomes. Prior research focused on either parents or peers, did not encompass effects into adulthood, or considered either acceptance or rejection. This study investigated the relation between parental and peer acceptance and rejection, and their interplay, in pre-adolescence and educational attainment in early adulthood. A sample of 2229 pre-adolescents (Mage T1 = 11.11, SD = 0.56; 50.7% girls) was followed to early adulthood (Mage T5 = 22.29, SD = 0.65). Ordinal logistic regression showed that pre-adolescents’ perceived parental acceptance was positively related to educational attainment in early adulthood, whereas peer rejection was negatively related, even when WISC score and socioeconomic status were considered. No interaction effects were found, revealing no “dual-hit effect” of being rejected by parents and peers, no “dual-miss effect” of being accepted by parents and peers, and no effects of acceptance in one context (i.e., parents or peers) buffering the negative effect of rejection in the other context. The findings underscore unique and long-term links of parental acceptance and peer rejection with early adults’ educational attainment, underlining the importance of not only peers but also parents in adolescence. These insights can be used in promoting long-term educational outcomes through relationships with parents and peers.

Adolescents’ Characteristics and Peer Relationships in Class: A Population Study

“…In accordance with previous studies, we expected adolescents with a low-SES background to be less included and to have fewer friends than adolescents with a higher SES [16,30,79,80,83]. Our results confirmed this prediction and provided some new information, i.e., that this difference appears to be more marked in peer friendship than in peer acceptance.…”

“…Adolescents from low-SES families appear to have less social contacts [ 16 , 76 , 77 , 78 ], fewer friends [ 79 , 80 , 81 ] and lower levels of perceived popularity [ 82 ] than their peers from higher SES backgrounds. In addition, they appear to be less accepted and more frequently rejected by peers [ 83 ], less socio-emotionally competent [ 84 ], more vulnerable to social isolation [ 16 , 81 ], and more subject to adverse peer relationships [ 85 ]. The evidence reviewed so far, therefore, suggests that having a less affluent family influences peer relationships in a negative way.…”

Predicting peer acceptance and peer rejection for autistic children

“…Our aim is that by examining behavioral aspects of peer acceptance, rather than peers' internal affect and cognitions (e.g., liking) toward the focal child, we are examining aspects of peer acceptance that can be more directly addressed through intervention. The concurrent and long‐term benefits of peer acceptance are well‐documented in education research among nonautistic or community samples; peer acceptance is predictive of improved academic performance over time (Sette et al, 2020; see Juvonen et al, 2012), gains in self‐esteem over time (Gruenenfelder‐Steiger et al, 2016), loneliness (Kingery et al, 2011), and long‐term educational attainment (Lorijn et al, 2022).…”

The Associations of Affection and Rejection During Adolescence with Interpersonal Functioning in Young Adulthood: A Macro- and Micro- Level Investigation Using the TRAILS TRANS-ID Study

“…During adolescence, selfconsciousness and social awareness develop, leading to increased sensitivity to social relationships (Kilford et al, 2016). Positive relationships are described by affectionate and sensitive responses to youth's needs and emotions, whereas negative relationships are described by rejection, defined as insensitive emotional responses (Lorijn et al, 2021). Many authors have highlighted the role of parental affection and rejection in shaping the mental representations about self and others, which impacts future interpersonal functioning (e.g.…”