Peer exclusion and adolescent maladjustment: the role of cognitive flexibility across school contexts
Children and Youth Services Review, cilt.188, 2026 (SSCI, Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Cilt numarası: 188
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2026.109155
- Dergi Adı: Children and Youth Services Review
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus, Child Development & Adolescent Studies, CINAHL, EBSCO Education Source, Education Abstracts, Educational research abstracts (ERA), Psycinfo, Public Affairs Index, Social Sciences Abstracts, Academic Search Ultimate (EBSCO), Education Source Ultimate (EBSCO)
- Anahtar Kelimeler: Adolescents, Cognitive flexibility, Peer exclusion, Psychological maladjustment, School context, School type
- Gazi Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
Peer exclusion is a common social experience during adolescence, which has been associated with psychological maladjustment. The present study examined whether cognitive flexibility is related to the association between different forms of peer exclusion (being ignored and being excluded) and maladjustment across school contexts. Participants were 490 adolescents from five types of public high school in Türkiye (mean age = 15.60; SD = 1.14; 56.3% female). Participants completed validated scales assessing peer exclusion (The Ostracism Experience Scale), cognitive flexibility (Cognitive Flexibility Scale), and psychological maladjustment (Personality Assessment Questionnaire). Findings showed that both being ignored and being excluded were associated with higher psychological maladjustment and lower cognitive flexibility. Cognitive flexibility partially mediated the association between both forms of peer exclusion and maladjustment. Although no significant interaction was observed in the overall sample, school-specific patterns emerged: cognitive flexibility tended to be protective in science and social high schools but was associated with stronger links between being ignored and maladjustment in female vocational and technical high schools. The results may inform the development of context-sensitive school-based support practices that combine social inclusion efforts with cognitive skill development.