Peer support development among Black American and Latinx adolescents: The role of ethnic-racial centrality

Dev Psychol. 2019 Dec;55(12):2637-2648. doi: 10.1037/dev0000829. Epub 2019 Sep 12.

Abstract

Adolescence is a developmental period when youth are increasingly likely to turn to their peers for support, and it is also a time of increased salience and development of ethnic-racial identity (ERI). Ethnic-racial centrality, a dimension of ERI, could be a predictor in the development of peer support, as youth with a stronger self-concept on the basis of their ethnic-racial identity might garner stronger peer relations. The current study examined trajectories of academic and emotional peer support as well as the role of centrality of one's ethnic-racial identity (i.e., ethnic-racial centrality) in predicting such trajectories among Black American and Latinx adolescents (N = 143, Mage = 11.91). Average levels of both academic and emotional peer support did not change over time. However, greater ethnic-racial centrality was positively related to higher initial levels of academic and emotional peer support. Ethnic-racial centrality as a potential asset for youth of color in the development of peer support is discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Black or African American / psychology*
  • Child
  • Ethnicity / psychology*
  • Female
  • Hispanic or Latino / psychology*
  • Humans
  • Interpersonal Relations*
  • Male
  • Peer Group*
  • Racial Groups*
  • Self Concept*
  • Social Identification

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