The Role of Perceived Popularity on Collaborative Learning: A Dyadic Perspective

The current study investigated how perceived popularity and collaboration quality were associated with knowledge gain of adolescents during a collaborative learning task. Participants included 264 children aged 10-12 years (52.3% boys), who collaborated three times in same-sex dyads on a computer assignment. Results indicated that the knowledge of the more popular member at T1 predicted knowledge gain of the less popular member at T2. Furthermore, mutual listening, reported by either member of the dyad, had a positive effect on the knowledge gain of the less popular member, whereas dominance of the more popular member negatively affected the knowledge gain of the less popular member. These findings suggest that prior knowledge of the more popular dyad member affects the learning of the less popular dyad member, and that the quality of the collaboration between both dyad members appears to affect the outcome for the less popular dyad member; more mutual listening and less dominance presumably ensures equal participation and likely increases the chances of the less popular dyad member to participate sufficiently in the collaboration process.