High school students who have friends with a higher GPA tend to improve their own grade over the course of a year, according to a study published in PLOS One by Hiroki Sayama of Binghamton University (USA) and his colleagues.
Previous studies showed that the student social network can affect affects as diverse as obesity, emotional state and various behavioral traits . However, it is the first time that it has been analyzed how peer groups can influence each other in their academic progress.
"Although most educators already know the importance of the social environment for the academic success of a student, our work offers the first quantitative evidence that supports this empirical knowledge", concludes Sayama.
