Becoming as Open‐Minded and Organized as My Classmates? Peer Effects on Self‐Reported Personality Trait Development in the Classroom.
Saved in:
| Title: | Becoming as Open‐Minded and Organized as My Classmates? Peer Effects on Self‐Reported Personality Trait Development in the Classroom. |
|---|---|
| Authors: | Johannsen, Mieke (AUTHOR), Brandt, Naemi D. (AUTHOR), Lüdtke, Oliver (AUTHOR), Wagner, Jenny (AUTHOR) |
| Source: | Journal of Personality. Dec2025, Vol. 93 Issue 6, p1298-1314. 17p. |
| Subjects: | Personality development, Conscientiousness, Longitudinal method, Five-factor model of personality, Peer pressure, Classroom dynamics, Teenagers, Adaptability (Personality) |
| Abstract: | Introduction: How does a student's personality development relate to the personality of their classmates? The school class builds a pertinent comparison group during adolescence that has been identified as a critical factor in students' development of abilities and self‐perceptions. This study empirically tests the impact of classroom personality composition on changes in adolescents' Big Five personality traits. We hypothesized positive associations between class‐level openness and conscientiousness and the individual development of these traits given their role in academic performance. Method: To test these hypotheses and explore additional composition effects, we employed three approaches of multilevel structural equation modeling on two large longitudinal samples of German adolescents (N1 = 5470; N2 = 788). Results: Our analyses yielded two principal findings: First, individual personality levels remained highly stable across different time periods. Second, contrary to our hypotheses, baseline class‐level openness and conscientiousness were not positively linked to individual personality development. Instead, there were some indications that higher class‐level openness was negatively linked to individual openness to experiences at the second measurement point. Conclusions: We discuss the absence of systematic composition effects at the classroom level and consider methodological challenges in investigating these effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Copyright of Journal of Personality is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) | |
| Database: | Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection |
|
Full text is not displayed to guests.
Login for full access.
|
|
| Abstract: | Introduction: How does a student's personality development relate to the personality of their classmates? The school class builds a pertinent comparison group during adolescence that has been identified as a critical factor in students' development of abilities and self‐perceptions. This study empirically tests the impact of classroom personality composition on changes in adolescents' Big Five personality traits. We hypothesized positive associations between class‐level openness and conscientiousness and the individual development of these traits given their role in academic performance. Method: To test these hypotheses and explore additional composition effects, we employed three approaches of multilevel structural equation modeling on two large longitudinal samples of German adolescents (N1 = 5470; N2 = 788). Results: Our analyses yielded two principal findings: First, individual personality levels remained highly stable across different time periods. Second, contrary to our hypotheses, baseline class‐level openness and conscientiousness were not positively linked to individual personality development. Instead, there were some indications that higher class‐level openness was negatively linked to individual openness to experiences at the second measurement point. Conclusions: We discuss the absence of systematic composition effects at the classroom level and consider methodological challenges in investigating these effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 00223506 |
| DOI: | 10.1111/jopy.13009 |
