Adolescents’ Self-Perception Of Social Relationships On Personality Functioning In The Context Of Inclusive Education

Social relationships involve interactions and connections between individuals, encompassing friendships, peer groups, and family ties.

Personality development refers to the ongoing process of forming and refining one’s unique traits, behaviors, and self-concept.

For adolescents, these aspects are critically intertwined as they navigate identity formation, social belonging, and emotional growth.

During this pivotal stage, social experiences significantly influence personality development, shaping how teens view themselves and interact with the world around them.

Hartmann, A., Knigge, M., Lenkeit, J., Ehlert, A., Goth, K., & Spörer, N. (2024). The influence of adolescents’ self-perception of social relationships on personality functioning in the context of inclusive education. Frontiers in Psychology, 15, 1279623. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1279623

Key Points

• The primary methods of this study include longitudinal multilevel analyses examining how adolescents’ self-perception of social relationships affects personality functioning in inclusive education settings.
• Factors like students’ self-perception of social relationships, special educational needs (SEN) in learning (L) and social-emotional development (SED), and grade level significantly affect personality functioning and its development over time.
• Students who perceived their social relationships more positively showed healthier personality functioning, while SEN SED represents a potential risk factor for personality functioning.
• Differences in personality functioning between seventh-graders with SEN L or SED and those without SEN decreased over time.
• This research has certain limitations such as the measurement of SEN based on teacher reports, focus only on classroom-based social relationships, and use of a screening instrument for personality functioning.
• The study highlights the importance of positive social relationships and inclusive education practices for healthy personality development in adolescence.

Rationale

Adolescence is a critical period for personality development and social relationship formation (König et al., 2011; Gniewosz & Titzmann, 2018).

Schools play a crucial role in shaping these processes, especially in inclusive settings where students with and without special educational needs (SEN) learn together (Rueger et al., 2016).

Previous research has shown that students with SEN, particularly in social-emotional development (SED), often experience difficulties in social integration (Koster et al., 2009; Schwab, 2015).

However, the association between adolescents’ self-perception of social relationships and their personality functioning in inclusive education contexts remains understudied.

The dynamic personality-relationship-transaction model (Neyer & Asendorpf, 2018) posits continuous interactions between social relationships and personality development.

This study aims to extend this model by examining how students’ self-perception of social relationships influences personality functioning in inclusive classrooms, considering the potential moderating effects of SEN.

Understanding these dynamics is crucial for promoting healthy personality development and successful inclusion of all students.

Method

The study employed a longitudinal design with two measurement points over one school year.

Procedure

Data was collected in November 2018 (t1) and June 2019 (t2) through whole-class questionnaires administered by trained test administrators.

Alterations were made for students with SEN when needed (e.g., additional time, personal assistant, larger prints).

Sample

The sample consisted of 927 students from 20 sixth-grade (primary school) and 20 seventh-grade (comprehensive school) classes in Brandenburg, Germany.

Sixth-graders (n = 449) were on average 11.8 years old, while seventh-graders (n = 478) were on average 13 years old. The sample included students with and without SEN.

Measures

1. Demographic data: Date of birth, gender, and socioeconomic status (HISEI)
2. Special Educational Needs (SEN): Teacher-reported formal or suspected diagnoses
3. Students’ self-perception of social relationships: 6-item scale adapted from Rauer and Schuck (2003)
4. Personality functioning: Level of Personality Functioning Questionnaire Screening version (LoPF-Q Screener; Zimmermann et al., 2022)

Statistical measures

Longitudinal multilevel hierarchical regression analyses were conducted using R packages “nlme,” “lme4”, and “lmerTest”.

Models were run separately for sixth and seventh grades, examining the effects of time, students’ self-perception of social relationships, SEN, and their interactions on personality functioning.

Results

• Students’ self-perception of social relationships was positively associated with healthier personality functioning for both sixth and seventh graders.
• Sixth-graders who reported higher self-perception of social relationships showed a slight increase in at-risk personality functioning over time, contrary to expectations.
• For seventh-graders, no significant change over time was observed in the relationship between social self-perception and personality functioning.
• Special Educational Needs in Learning (SEN L) did not significantly relate to overall personality functioning in either grade.
• Seventh-graders with SEN L showed improved personality functioning over time compared to peers without SEN. Special Educational Needs in Social-Emotional Development (SEN SED) was associated with lower levels of healthy personality functioning in both grades.
• Seventh-graders with SEN SED demonstrated improved personality functioning over time compared to peers without SEN.
• Neither SEN L nor SEN SED moderated the association between students’ self-perception of social relationships and personality functioning.
• Overall, seventh-graders exhibited higher at-risk personality functioning compared to sixth-graders.
• In seventh grade, girls showed lower levels of healthy personality functioning compared to boys.
• The study found similar patterns of results when examining specific domains of personality functioning (identity, self-direction, empathy, and intimacy).
• Differences in personality functioning between students with and without SEN decreased over time in seventh grade, but not in sixth grade.

Insight

This study provides valuable insights into the complex relationship between adolescents’ social experiences and personality development in inclusive education settings.

The finding that students who perceive their social relationships more positively show healthier personality functioning underscores the importance of fostering positive social environments in schools.

However, the unexpected result that sixth-graders with higher social self-perception showed increased at-risk personality functioning over time warrants further investigation.

The study extends previous research by examining these dynamics in the context of inclusive education, considering the role of SEN.

The finding that differences in personality functioning between students with and without SEN decreased over time in seventh grade is encouraging and suggests that inclusive settings may support positive development for students with SEN.

Future research could explore the mechanisms behind the grade-level differences observed, investigate the long-term trajectories of personality functioning beyond one school year, and examine the role of specific inclusive education practices in supporting healthy personality development for all students.

Strengths

This study had several methodological strengths, including:

1. Longitudinal design allowing for examination of changes over time
2. Large sample size (N = 927) enhancing statistical power and generalizability
3. Inclusion of both primary (sixth grade) and secondary (seventh grade) school students
4. Consideration of multiple domains of personality functioning
5. Use of multilevel modeling to account for nested data structure
6. Inclusion of students with and without SEN in inclusive education settings
7. Examination of both learning and social-emotional special educational needs

Limitations

This study also had several methodological limitations, including:

1. Reliance on teacher reports for SEN classification, which may lack psychometric validation
2. Focus only on classroom-based social relationships, potentially missing important out-of-school social experiences
3. Use of a screening instrument (LoPF-Q Screener) for personality functioning, which may not provide as detailed information as a full diagnostic tool
4. Limited to two measurement points over one school year, which may not capture long-term developmental trajectories
5. Geographical restriction to Brandenburg, Germany, potentially limiting generalizability to other educational systems or cultural contexts
6. Lack of information on specific inclusive education practices implemented in the schools studied

These limitations suggest caution in generalizing results and highlight the need for further research using more comprehensive measures, longer time frames, and diverse geographical and cultural contexts.

Implications

The results of this study have significant implications for inclusive education practices and adolescent development.

The finding that positive self-perception of social relationships is associated with healthier personality functioning emphasizes the need for schools to prioritize social integration and positive peer interactions.

This is particularly crucial for students with SEN SED, who showed lower levels of healthy personality functioning.

The decrease in differences between students with and without SEN over time in seventh grade suggests that inclusive education may have positive effects on personality development.

However, the grade-level differences observed indicate that tailored approaches may be needed for different age groups.

The study highlights the complex interplay between social experiences, special educational needs, and personality development.

Educators and policymakers should consider these dynamics when designing inclusive education programs and interventions to support healthy adolescent development.

Factors such as grade level, gender, and type of SEN influence the results, underscoring the need for nuanced approaches in educational and clinical practice.

For example, the finding that girls in seventh grade showed lower levels of healthy personality functioning suggests a need for targeted support for this group.

References

Primary reference

Hartmann, A., Knigge, M., Lenkeit, J., Ehlert, A., Goth, K., & Spörer, N. (2024). The influence of adolescents’ self-perception of social relationships on personality functioning in the context of inclusive education. Frontiers in Psychology, 15, 1279623. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1279623

Other references

Gniewosz, B., & Titzmann, P. F. (2018). Handbuch Jugend: Psychologische Sichtweisen auf Veränderungen in der Adoleszenz. Stuttgart: Kohlhammer.

König, J., Wagner, C., & Valtin, R. (2011). Jugend–Schule–Zukunft. Psychosoziale Bedingungen der Persönlichkeitsentwicklung. Ergebnisse der Längsschnittstudie AIDA. Münster: Waxmann.

Koster, M., Timmerman, M. E., Nakken, H., Pijl, S. J., & van Houten, E. J. (2009). Evaluating social participation of pupils with special needs in regular primary schools: Examination of a teacher questionnaire. European Journal of Psychological Assessment, 25(4), 213-222. https://doi.org/10.1027/1015-5759.25.4.213

Neyer, F. J., and Asendorpf, J. B. (2018). Psychologie der Persönlichkeit (6. Aufl.) [psychology of personality] (6th ed.). Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer-Verlag.

Rauer, W., & Schuck, K. D. (2003). FEESS 3-4. Fragebogen zur Erfassung emotionaler und sozialer Schulerfahrungen von Grundschulkindern dritter und vierter Klassen. Göttingen: Beltz.

Rueger, S. Y., Malecki, C. K., Pyun, Y., Aycock, C., & Coyle, S. (2016). A meta-analytic review of the association between perceived social support and depression in childhood and adolescence. Psychological bulletin, 142(10), 1017.

Schwab, S. (2015). Social dimensions of inclusion in education of 4th and 7th grade pupils in inclusive and regular classes: Outcomes from Austria. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 43-44, 72-79.

Zimmermann, R., Steppan, M., Zimmermann, J., Oeltjen, L., Birkhölzer, M., Schmeck, K., & Goth, K. (2022). A DSM-5 AMPD and ICD-11 compatible measure for an early identification of personality disorders in adolescence–LoPF-Q 12–18 latent structure and short form. PLoS One, 17(9), e0269327. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0269327

Keep Learning

Socratic questions for a college class to discuss this paper:

1. How might the concept of personality functioning differ in adolescence compared to adulthood, and what implications does this have for research and practice?
2. In what ways could the self-perception of social relationships interact with actual social experiences to influence personality development?
3. How might the findings of this study inform the debate on inclusive versus specialized education for students with special educational needs?
4. What ethical considerations should be taken into account when conducting research on personality functioning in adolescents, particularly those with special educational needs?
5. How might cultural differences affect the relationship between social self-perception and personality functioning? How could this study be adapted for cross-cultural comparisons?
6. What interventions could be developed based on these findings to support healthy personality development in inclusive educational settings?
7. How might the use of technology and social media impact adolescents’ self-perception of social relationships and, consequently, their personality functioning?
8. What are the potential long-term implications of the observed gender differences in personality functioning for seventh-graders?
9. How could the unexpected finding of increased at-risk personality functioning for sixth-graders with higher social self-perception be explained or further investigated?
10. In what ways could teacher attitudes and behaviors influence the relationship between students’ social self-perception and personality functioning in inclusive classrooms?