Abstract:
Recent research has evaluated the influence of peer relationships on internalizing
symptoms, such as loneliness, in adolescence. There remains an increasing need to
understand the mechanisms by which peer relationships contribute to elevated loneliness.
The present study drew on developmental psychopathology, evolutionary perspectives on
loneliness, and peer relationship frameworks to examine how social-cognitive appraisals,
namely fear of negative evaluation (FNE) and rejection sensitivity (RS), mediated the
relationship between friendship and dislike networks with loneliness in adolescence. It
was hypothesized that greater FNE and RS would mediate associations among smaller
friendship networks, larger dislike networks, and elevated loneliness. The present study
also hypothesized that these associations would be stronger for adolescent girls, younger
adolescents and for minorities. These questions were examined using a sample of 279 6th
graders and 435 9th graders from public schools in a metropolitan area in the Southwest
U.S. (51% female; 28% European-American, 7% African American, 50.8% Hispanic/Latino, 1.3% Asian, and 2% American Indian or Alaska Native). Results
indicated that rejection sensitivity mediated the link between friendship network
popularity, gregariousness, and loneliness. The indirect effects of RS and FNE on the link
between peer networks and loneliness were not conditional on gender, grade, or
ethnicity/race. These findings extend our understanding of the mechanisms and their
heterogeneity in how peer networks were associated with loneliness. Discussion focuses
on implications of findings and ways to advance the existing knowledge on peer
networks, social-cognitive appraisals, and loneliness in adolescence.
