While prosocial behavior can help you a lot in life, it sometimes happens that aggressive children become pretty popular later in life.
A new study shows correlation between aggressive and disruptive behavior and popularity.
Let's find out more.
How can that happen?
A longitudinal study by Florida Atlantic University researchers found that aggressive and disruptive children engage in conflicts with peers to enhance their popularity.
Higher levels of aggression and disruptiveness were associated with increased popularity, particularly for those with frequent disagreements.
Conflict creates an implicit threat of harm, leading peers to submit and demonstrate dominance, resulting in short-term popularity gains.
The study involved a diverse sample of children aged 8 to 12 from a Florida primary school.
Why does it work?
The researchers caution that using conflicts for popularity is not a healthy approach, but disagreements can be an efficient social strategy that leverages the threat of coercion for dominance and popularity.
