同儕效應如何影響學業表現？教育期望的中介角色

Abstract

本研究旨在探討同儕學業表現影響青少年自身學業成就之機制。本研究援引社會比較理論，假設朋友的學業成就會透過形塑青少年自身的教育期望，進而影響其學業成就。然而，既有研究指出此社會影響有可能帶來正向或負向效果：高成就同儕可能正向激勵學生，亦可能因負向比較而使其感到挫折。此外，若要驗證比較假說，必須將其影響與人際溝通的機制加以區分。本研究使用「美國國家青少年至成人健康縱貫研究」（Add Health）之資料，採用因果中介分析（causal mediation analysis）方法，將同儕總效應分解為直接與間接路徑，並檢驗同儕成就與個人教育期望之間的交互作用。研究結果顯示，同儕效應呈現顯著正向影響，而且此效果部分是透過提高青少年的教育期望所中介，此發現支持了正向社會比較假說。此外，分析亦發現負向的交互作用，意指在同儕學業成就較低的環境中，個人抱持高教育期望所帶來的助益更為顯著。本研究結論指出，教育期望是同儕影響的關鍵機制之一，此發現不僅有助於理解網絡效應（network effects），亦能為未來的教育介入措施提供重要參考。

This study investigates the mechanisms through which peer academic performance influences adolescents' own academic achievement. Drawing on social comparison theories, it hypothesizes that friends' academic achievement affects adolescents' achievement by shaping their educational expectations. However, prior research suggests that this social influence may operate in either direction: high-achieving peers may positively motivate students or, conversely, discourage them through upward comparison. Moreover, testing the comparison hypothesis requires isolating its pathway from processes of interpersonal communication. Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health), this study employs causal mediation analysis to decompose the total peer effect into direct and indirect pathways and to assess interaction effects between peer achievement and individual educational expectations. The findings reveal a significant positive peer effect, and this effect is partially mediated by adolescents' educational expectations, supporting the positive social comparison hypothesis. Furthermore, the analysis identifies a negative interaction effect, suggesting that the benefits of high educational expectations are more pronounced in low-achieving peer environments. The study concludes that educational expectations represent a critical mechanism of peer influence, offering valuable insights for understanding network effects and informing educational interventions.