If You Are Happy and You Know It Check Your Friends: Self-esteem as a moderator of friends’ influence on children’s happiness.
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2021-03-29
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en
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Abstract
This study investigated the effect of friends’ happiness on changes in children’s happiness,
and whether this effect is moderated by self-esteem. Participants took part in a larger
longitudinal study called ‘MyMovez project’. The sample used in this research consisted of
449 primary school children (53% female; M age= 11.03 years, SD = 1.30). Participants
nominated their friends, and completed self-reports of their happiness and self-esteem. Results
show that there was a significant effect of the child’s happiness at time one on the child’s
happiness at time two. Friends’ happiness did not predict the child’s happiness. However, the
child and their friends level of happiness at time one were significantly correlated. Self esteem and the interaction between self-esteem and friends’ happiness did not predict the
happiness of the child at time two. Implications of these results and directions for future
research are discussed.
Key words: peer influence, socialisation effects, happiness, self-esteem, sociometer theory,
childhood
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Faculteit der Sociale Wetenschappen