Students’ classroom friendships may have an impact on their academic performance, according to a study by researchers at an Israeli university.
Researchers at Ben-Gurion University analyzed the social networks of 185 students enrolled in a computer class and discovered that students shared similar exam grades to their closest friend in the course.
By examining group assignments and tracking activity on the course website, researchers were able to see which students interacted with each other the most and then estimate what grade they would get, said Michael Fire, PhD student and study co-author.
“There are a couple of reasons for why you might get that effect [from the study],” said Anne Bowker, department chair of psychology at Carleton University.
“Friends are often similar to each other in certain characteristics, so it could be that I have particular characteristics and I seek somebody out who is similar to me,” she said.
Another theory suggests that the more time a person spends with another, the more similar they become, Bowker said.
While friends do have the ability to influence each other’s behaviour, said Bowker, simply being friends does not guarantee you will develop their qualities.
Bowker said it is important to be aware of your own characteristics, and to seek peers whose study habits you can get along with.
Justin Routhier, a second-year communications student at Carleton said he was not surprised with the findings, but that his grades vary compared to his friends.
“A person may have personality characteristics which make them compatible for friendship, however, not the same characteristics that relate to academic success,” he said.
“The friends you make in class become your support system, and a support system is usually beneficial if they are relatively on the same level as you,” said second-year psychology student Darcie Valois.
Sharing goals and similar work habits makes it easier for her to get along with peers, she said.
But even pairing with friends of similar habits can backfire, said Bowker, who has had problems with students who all share similar personalities.
When put in a group situation, her students often second-guess their abilities because of pressure from their peers.
The most important thing is to know yourself and find peers you can co-operate with, Bowker said.
