Peer Social Acceptance and Academic Achievement: A Meta-Analytic Study

Using meta-analytic techniques, we examined systematically the evidence linking peer social acceptance to academic achievement. Based on 72 studies that yielded 157 effect sizes, we analyzed relations between social acceptance and academic outcomes (e.g., academic grades, test scores), including the extent to which relations were moderated by sex, grade level (primary vs. secondary), culture (country of origin), and measurement strategies (peer nomination vs. rating strategies; classroom-based vs. standardized indicators of achievement); and mediated by motivation (self-concept, affective outcomes) and active engagement. A medium effect size suggests that peer social acceptance is related significantly and positively to academic achievement. Moderator effects were medium to large, suggesting that relations were significantly stronger for younger students, students from Asian countries, and for classroom-based assessments of achievement. Small effect sizes suggest that academic-specific self-beliefs (e.g., efficacy), negative affect, and active engagement partly mediate relations between social acceptance and academic performance.