Deviant Peer Affiliation and Adolescent Academic Achievement: The Mediating Effect of Academic Self-efficacy and The Moderating Effect of School Connectedness
Studies have shown that deviant peer affiliation is an important risk factor for adolescents' academic achievement, but its mediating and moderating mechanism still need to be further explored. This study investigated 1006 junior middle school students by questionnaire, investigated the mediating role of academic self-efficacy in the relationship between deviant peer affiliation and adolescents' academic achievement, and the moderating role of school connectedness in this relationship. The results showed that academic self-efficacy significantly mediated the relationship between deviant peer affiliation and adolescents' academic achievement; School connectedness significantly moderates the mediating path of "deviant peer affiliation → academic self-efficacy → adolescent academic achievement". Specifically, the mediating effect of deviant peer affiliation on academic achievement through academic self-efficacy is significant in the adolescents group with low-level school connectedness, but not in the adolescents group with high school connectedness.