By Laurel White
Students ranked as less capable than their peers in classroom settings are more likely to develop symptoms of depression than highly ranked peers, according to a new study co-authored by a UW–Madison School of Education faculty member.
The study used data about student mental health gathered by the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health and compared it to scores of a standardized Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test, which measures verbal intelligence and scholastic aptitude. It found that, controlling for absolute ability, students with lower ability ranks are more likely to develop depressive symptoms. It also found that this effect is more pronounced at the top and bottom of the ability distribution, and that social relations, particularly care from teachers, partly mediate the rank effect at the top of the ability distribution.
Ran Liu, an assistant professor in the School of Education’s Department of Educational Policy Studies, co-authored the study with Korea University Assistant Professor Jinho Kim. The authors say the analysis may illuminate more targeted ways to address adolescent depression.
“Since adolescent depression is a major public health concern and can impact outcomes of individuals throughout their life course, identifying potential risks and protective factors could help to develop effective strategies to address this problem,” Liu and Kim wrote.
Another paper co-authored by Liu about the effect of ability rankings on girls’ and boys’ science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) career aspirations, published late last year in the European Sociological Review, was recently awarded the 2023 Comparative and International Education Society (CIES) East Asia Special Interest Group’s Best Paper Award. That paper analyzed boys and girls in middle schools in China, where it is common for students to be publicly ranked among their peers based on academic performance. The analysis took into account those public rankings and students’ self- reported STEM career aspirations.
The award committee noted that while gender stereotyping in STEM fields has been well-documented, social comparison as a key variable is less investigated. The committee said the paper made an outstanding contribution to expanding previous literature on gender norms and equity issues in East Asian education.
Liu says she is honored by the recognition and hopes her work can help educators create better environments for girls who may be interested in STEM careers.
“We hope our findings can inform future efforts to address potential disparities and prevent gender stereotypes in the educational environment,” she says.
This spring, Liu was selected as one of 10 faculty members across UW–Madison to receive a Vilas Faculty Early Career Investigator Award. These awards, which provide flexible research funding for three years, recognize research and teaching excellence in faculty who are relatively early in their careers.