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The upsides and downsides of the dark side: A longitudinal study into the role of prosocial and antisocial strategies in close friendship formation
Ciarrochi, Joseph Sahdra, Baljinder Hawley, Patricia H. Devine, Emma K.
Ciarrochi, Joseph
Sahdra, Baljinder
Hawley, Patricia H.
Devine, Emma K.
Abstract
Resource control theory (RCT) posits that both antisocial and prosocial behaviors combine in unique ways to control resources such as friendships. We assessed students (N = 2,803; 49.7% male) yearly from junior (grades 8–10) to senior high school (11–12) on antisocial (A) and prosocial (P) behavior, peer nominated friendship, and well-being. Non-parametric cluster analyses of the joint trajectories of A and P identified four stable profiles: non-strategic (moderately low A and P), bi-strategic (moderately high on A and P), prosocial (moderately low A and moderately high on P), and antisocial (moderately low on P, and very high on A). There were clear benefits to youth using bi-strategic strategies in junior high: they attracted relatively high levels of opposite sex friendship nominations. However, this benefit disappeared in senior high. There were also clear costs: bi-strategic youth experienced relatively low well-being, and this effect was significantly more pronounced for females than males. Prosocial youth were the only ones who maintained both high friendship numbers and high well-being throughout high school. We discuss the cost/benefit trade-offs of different resource control strategies.
Keywords
sex differences, resource control theory, well-being, self-concept and self esteem, empathy
Date
2019
Type
Journal article
Journal
Frontiers in Psychology
Book
Volume
10
Issue
Feb
Page Range
1-13
Article Number
ACU Department
Institute for Positive Psychology and Education
Faculty of Education and Arts
Faculty of Education and Arts
Relation URI
Source URL
Event URL
Open Access Status
Open access
License
CC BY 4.0
File Access
Open