“Feeling” hierarchy: The pathway from subjective social status to achievement

• Published in: Journal of adolescence (London, England.) Vol. 35; no. 6; pp. 1571 - 1579
• Main Authors: Destin, Mesmin, Richman, Scott, Varner, Fatima, Mandara, Jelani
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01-12-2012; Elsevier; John Wiley & Sons, Inc
• Subjects: Academic Achievement; Achievement; Adolescent; Adolescent Attitudes; Adolescents; Alternative Approaches; Biological and medical sciences; Children & youth; Correlation; Depression (Psychology); Developmental psychology; Educational Measurement; Educational psychology; Educational Status; Emotional Problems; Ethnic Groups; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Grade Point Average; Grades (Scholastic); High School Students; Humans; Intervention; Male; Mediation Theory; Midwestern United States; Models, Theoretical; Motivation; Pediatrics; Predictive Measurement; Psychological Distress; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Psychometrics; Pupil and student. Academic achievement and failure; Self Concept; Social Class; Social psychology; Social Status; Socioeconomic factors; Socioeconomic Status; Status; Stress, Psychological; Students; Study Habits; Study Skills; Surveys and Questionnaires; Midwestern United States; Social status; Achievement; Motivation; Adolescents; Human; Grammar school; Hierarchy; Academic achievement; Socioeconomic status; Sociodemographic factor; Adolescent; Predictive factor
• ISSN: 0140-1971; 1095-9254
• DOI: 10.1016/j.adolescence.2012.06.006

Abstract The current study tested a psychosocial mediation model of the association between subjective social status (SSS) and academic achievement for youth. The sample included 430 high school students from diverse racial/ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds. Those who perceived themselves to be at higher social status levels had higher GPAs. As predicted by the model, most of the relationship was mediated by emotional distress and study skills and habits. The lower SSS students had more depressive symptoms, which led to less effective studying and lower GPA. The model held across different racial/ethnic groups, was tested against alternative models, and results remained stable controlling for objective socioeconomic status. Implications for identity-based intervention are discussed.