The reciprocal relationships between core self-evaluation, academic burnout and deviant peer affiliation in adolescence

During adolescence, academics occupy a significant portion of time, and social needs reach their peak. It is crucial to explore two key challenges faced by adolescents: deviant peer affiliation and academic burnout. According to Self-Verification Theory, adolescents tend to select information that is consistent with their self-concept. This study aims to investigate the interrelationships among adolescents' core self-evaluation, academic burnout, and deviant peer affiliation. 1214 Chinese adolescents (Mage = 15.46, SDage = 0.71) from central China completed a questionnaire survey on Academic Burnout Inventory, Core Self-evaluation Scale, and Deviant Peer Affiliation Questionnaire. The findings revealed that deviant peer affiliation positively predicted academic burnout, while the reverse was not observed. Core self-evaluation was found to be predictors of both academic burnout and deviant peer affiliation, and in turn, core self-evaluation was influenced by the two factors. In addition, a dynamic cyclical relationship was found between core self-evaluation and academic burnout, and the mutual relations between academic burnout and deviant peer affiliation were through core self-evaluation. This research enhanced our comprehension of adolescents' self-evaluation, academic challenges, and peer interactions, highlighted the need to focus on the enduring influence of core self-evaluation on adolescents.