1. Selfishness and Self-Mattering: Do I Fit In? Leah Burke Advisors: Ellen Cohn, Ph.D. & Alexander Blandina, M.A. The University of New Hampshire INTRODUCTION HYPOTHESES Hypothesis 1: Selfishness is a negative predictor of school belonging Hypothesis 2: Self-mattering is a positive mediator between selfishness and school belonging RESULTS METHOD PARTICIPANTS 397 students participated 41.1% males 58.9% females 8 middle and 5 high schools across New Hampshire. Race: 77.1% Age: M=13.3, SD=1.53 PROCEDURE The New Hampshire Youth Survey (NHYS), a longitudinal study focusing on the reasons for adolescents rule-violating behavior (RVB). Data presented was collected over two years Fall of 2006 (T1) Spring of 2007 (T2) Fall of 2008 (T3) MEASURES Selfishness T1 M=.988, SD=.593, α =.70 0(strongly disagree) to 3(strongly agree) Likert-like scale Ex: “I will try to get things I want even when I know it’s causing problems” Self-Mattering T2 M=2.075, SD=.595, α =.83 0(strongly disagree) to 3(strongly agree) Likert-like scale Ex: “I take a positive attitude towards myself” School Belonging T3 M=.4.010, SD=.1.357 0(strongly disagree) to 6+(strongly agree) Likert-like scale Ex: “Students accept me as me” DISCUSSION The original relation between selfishness and school belonging indicated a negative prediction, supporting hypothesis 1 Selfishness significantly negatively predicted school belonging Self mattering predicted a positive relation of school belonging The more a student believes they matter to others, the more they fit in among peers (school belonging) Self mattering also mediated the relation between selfishness and school belonging, supporting hypothesis 2 The mediation changed the relation from negative to positive The less selfish someone is, the more they will believe they matter to others, which will increase their chances of fitting in among peers Implications: Schools can continue to educate students at a young age on how detrimental selfishness can be, as well as how self-mattering can positively influence their acceptance among peers Having appropriate resources for teaching children the difference between healthy and unhealthy selfishness can also be greatly beneficial Parents serve as the first role models a child will come across Showing appropriate behaviors in relation to selfishness (ex: teaching them how to share) can help limit harmful selfishness in the future Encouraging children, acknowledging feelings, and supporting interests are all examples of behaviors to increase self-mattering thoughts Limitations and future directions: The survey design is based on self-report Future studies could examine the mediation’s effects on academic performance The results produced were completely correlational which limits us from concluding causation Potential cultural differences are not examined due to a lack of diversity within the sample This could be addressed in future research in more diverse populations Future research could also analyze: Parenting styles and the effects they may have on selfishness and/or self mattering The effects this may have on students fitting in among peers Academic performance has been a focal point for research, recent studies have looked at school belonging as a predictor 2 Selfishness is the concern solely for personal welfare or behavior that indicates a lack of concern for the welfare of others 4 Can be healthy (tending to own needs without hurting others) or unhealthy (little regard for the feelings of others) 4 Motivated by community identity, emotional attachment, and moral beliefs 4 Mattering, the belief that others are aware of, rely on, and care about one’s presence, is a positive predictor of wellness in adolescents 1 Negatively associated with alienation, loneliness, and self-consciousness 1 Greater sense of belonging predicts academic success 2 Social environment, family, school, and peers contribute to well-being as well as academic achievement 2 School belonging refers to feeling socially included among friend groups and other students within the school setting 2 Can a sense of self-mattering positively change the relation between selfishness and school belonging? REFERENCES 1. Dubois, D., Rucker, D. D., & Galinsky, A. D. (2015). Social class, power, and selfishness: When and why upper and lower class individuals behave unethically. Journal Of Personality And Social Psychology, 108, 436-449. doi:10.1037/pspi00000 2. Farrugia, D. (2002). Selfishness, greed, and counseling. Counseling And Values, 46. doi:10.1037/pspi00000 3. Lam, U. F., Chen, W., Zhang, J., & Liang, T. (2015). It feels good to learn where I belong: School belonging, academic emotions, and academic achievement in adolescents. School Psychology International, 36, 393-409. doi:10.1177/0143034315589649 4. Raque-Bogdan, Trisha L., Sara K. Ericson, John Jackson, Helena M. Martin, and Nicole A. Bryan. 2011. "Attachment and mental and physical health: Self- compassion and mattering as mediators." Journal Of Counseling Psychology 58, 272-278. For more information email: lmn243@wildcats.unh.edu R 2 =.14, F (2,394) = 30.71, p =.00 Mediating Model School Belonging Self-Mattering Selfishness -.10*.34*** -.09 (-.15***) * p ≤.05 ** p ≤.01 *** p ≤.001 Regression StepBSEβ R2R2 Initial Relation.02 School Belonging4.31.12 Selfishness-.36.11-.15 Predicting Mediator.01 Self mattering2.26.05 Selfish-.11.05-.10 Full Mediating Model.14 School Belonging2.61.26 Selfish-.21.11-.09 Self mattering.74.10.34