Academic achievement may be associated with social functioning both at the within-group individual level and at the group level.  The associations at the within-group individual level may be derived from intrapersonal processes such as individual social-cognitive competence or specific family socialization experiences (Chen et al., 1997).  However, the relations at the group level (i.e., group mean academic achievement and group social behaviors) may indicate the significance of the group context.  The group level associations between achievement and social functioning may be due, in part, to the selection process in which the group provides a social milieu for clustering individuals with similar academic abilities and corresponding social behavioral styles.  Moreover, the group level associations may also reflect the mediating effect of the group.  The term  °mediating ± is used in a broad sense herein to indicate the fact that the links between academic achievement and social functioning may be formed through, or facilitated by, the peer group context.  The mediation may represent an important aspect of group influence on individual functioning.
The influence of group norm and organization may occur through social learning and group regulatory processes.  In an academically oriented and competent group, for example, mutual support and assistance of members in learning activities may help them improve academic performance, which in turn may serve to reduce deviant social behaviors and other social-relational problems (e.g., Coie & Krehbiel, 1984; Kellam et al., 1983; Maughan, Gray, & Rutter, 1985; McGee, Williams, Share, Anderson, & Silva, 1986).  Moreover, the common goal of pursuing academic achievement requires individuals to engage in social behaviors that are conducive to learning, such as cooperation and self-regulation (Wentzel, 1991; Wentzel & Asher, 1995).  Behaviors that disturb or impede academic activities such as disruptive and selfish behaviors are discouraged by the group.  
The impact of group academic norm may also be due to the group  °reputation ± effect (Hymel, Bowker, & Woody, 1993).  High achievement groups are likely to obtain social recognition and prestige, which constitutes a desirable condition for individual social development.  These groups, for example, may receive positive evaluations from peers and teachers, which, in turn, may help group members acquire leadership status in school.  In contrast, membership in academically poor groups may be associated with negative social evaluations and reactions; as such, children in these groups are likely to be viewed as generally deviant and problematic.  It should be noted that social reputation is an integral part of social interactions, and may actively affect the process of group organization (Hymel et al., 1993).  As specific hypotheses in this study, we expected that, similar to the patterns of relations between academic achievement and social functioning at the within-group individual level, group academic achievement would be associated positively with group social adjustment including overall acceptance by peers, leadership status, sociability-cooperation, and negatively with group social and behavoral problems such as peer rejection and deviant behaviors.

______________
This article is from:
Xinyin Chen, Lei Chang, and Yunfeng He. (2003). The peer group as a context: Mediating and moderating effects on relations between academic achievement and social functioning in Chinese children. Child Development. 74(3), 710-727.