Researchers in the field of early adolescence interested in quantifying the environmental influences on a response variable of interest over time would use cluster sampling (i.e., obtaining repeated measures from students nested within classrooms and/or schools) to obtain the needed sample size. The resulting longitudinal data would be nested at…

This study examines the nature and implications of peer academic reputations in math and science classes for early adolescents' achievement beliefs and behaviors. The sample was 840 students (51% girls; 36% African American, 47% European American, 7% Latino, 6% Asian American, and 3% Other). About half the sample (47%) was from 27 fifth-grade…

Early adolescents vary in their susceptibility to peer influence on delinquency. However, it is still less clear which factors explain this variation and how these factors relate to each other. In this study, 10 factors that may moderate peer influence were investigated. A sample of 868 participants was followed across six occasions from seventh…

The trajectory of early adolescents' popularity goal during the transition to middle school was examined in a diverse sample of 401 students. Popularity goal was assessed at five time points from the spring semester of fifth grade through the spring semester of seventh grade with the transition to middle school occurring between the fifth and…