Same- and Other-Sex Popularity and Preference During Early Adolescence

This study examined the longitudinal and bidirectional relations between same-sex (SS) and other-sex (OS) popularity and preference across one school year. Participants were 271 sixth-grade students who completed peer nomination measures at three time points in their schools. Tests of cross-lagged autoregressive models indicated that SS popularity predicted later OS popularity and vice versa. OS preference predicted later SS preference but not vice versa. Findings highlight the importance of more carefully considering the distinctions and associations between SS and OS popularity and preference during early adolescence while setting the stage for future group-level peer relations research.