Social preference, perceived popularity, athletic ability, and aggression among South Korean adolescents

Social preference, perceived popularity, and aggression have been studied in the past using traditional methods of statistical analysis. To extend the literature in this area, I used social network analysis to investigate the characteristics of students with a high status in networks of social preference and perceived popularity. I collected data from 283 middle-school students using name generator questionnaires. Most characteristics of students with a high status within the 2 network types were similar to the average characteristics of the sample. Social preference and perceived popularity were significantly and positively associated with athletic ability and aggression, whereas age was significantly and negatively related to aggression. I identified students of high social status with clear characteristics in the 2 network types. Contrary to findings obtained in previous research, I found that aggression contributed to social preference. My findings have implications for the development of programs to address popular individuals’ antisocial behavior.