Do personal relationships boost academic performance more for women than for men?

Abstract

Social integration is known to be positively related to academic performance. It is also well-known to play a different role for (self-identified) men and women. In this paper, we examine the differences seen in the correlations between academic performance and social integration for men and women. Gender was determined on the basis of self-identification. Utilizing the data from the Russian representative panel of late adolescents ( N = 4,400), we demonstrate a positive relationship between the core discussion network size as a measure of social integration. Using moderation analysis, we demonstrate that the role of social integration for women is more pronounced than for men. Our findings show the importance of social integration and support for girls and women and suggest possible policy implications.