Children’s Differential Susceptibility to Peer Acceptance and Rejection: A Multi-informant Longitudinal Study

Abstract

In this multi-informant longitudinal study, we examined whether children with higher levels of self-reported sensory processing sensitivity (SPS) showed stronger longitudinal associations between peer relationships (i.e., peer acceptance and rejection) and their social-emotional functioning (i.e., prosocial behavior, aggressive behavior, and emotional symptoms). Participants were 567 third- and fourth-grade children ( M age = 9.16 at Wave 1; 58.8% boys; 98.9% Han Chinese), followed across three waves, spaced one year apart. Peer acceptance and rejection were measured using classmate nominations at Waves 1 to 3, SPS through children’s self-reports at Wave 3, prosocial and aggressive behaviors through both mother reports and classmate nominations at Waves 1 to 3, and emotional symptoms through mother reports at Waves 1 to 3. Results revealed only one significant SPS moderation effect among the many tested, providing little evidence for SPS-based differential susceptibility in this context. We discuss explanations, including study-level constraints and broader theoretical questions, such as whether person-centered approaches may better capture distinct susceptibility subtypes that may emerge by late childhood.