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The present study investigated the extent to which peer group similarity in school burnout is due to peer group influence and the extent to which it is due to peer group selection. Moreover, the roles of academic achievement and gender in school burnout were examined. A total of 611 ninth graders were examined at the beginning of the final term of comprehensive school, and 614 were examined at the end of the final term. The results of the Multilevel Latent Growth Modeling showed that peer group influence was responsible for peer group similarity, but no evidence was found for peer group selection. The results showed further that high academic achievement protected group members against an increase in school burnout.
Peer groups are among the most significant social contexts in adolescence (Magnusson & Stattin, 1998; Rubin, Bukowski, & Parker, 1998). Previous research has shown that the members of adolescents' peer groups are similar with respect to many characteristics and behaviors, such as internalizing and externalizing problem behavior (Cairns & Cairns, 1994; Hogue & Steinberg, 1995). Research in academic settings has shown that the members of peer groups are similar also with respect to academic achievement and learning motivation (Chen, Chang, & He, 2003; Kindermann, McCollam, & Gibson, 1996; Ryan, 2001). These similarities have been explained by reference to two processes: peer influence and selection (e.g., Cohen, 1977; Urberg, Luo, Pilgrim, & Degirmencioglu, 2003). Although several studies have examined the role of these two processes (e.g., Espelage, Holt, & Henkel, 2003; Kindermann et al., 1996; Ryan, 2001), previous research on this topic has two major limitations. First, only a few longitudinal studies (Cohen, 1977; Ennett & Bauman, 1994; Kindermann et al., 1996) have examined peer group influence and selection in the same study. Consequently, little is known about the relative importance of these processes in peer group similarity. second, no prior studies have examined the roles of peer group influence and selection in adolescents' burnout in school context. Consequently, the present study investigated to what extent peer influence and selection contribute to peer group similarity in school burnout at the end of comprehensive school. Moreover, the roles of academic achievement and gender in regard to school burnout were investigated.
School Burnout among Adolescents
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