Inflated Peer Status Self‐Perceptions in Youth: Overestimation of Likeability and Popularity and Adjustment Outcomes

ABSTRACT Most research on self‐overestimation focuses on cognitive domains, yet its occurrence in social contexts remains understudied. This study examines overestimation of one's social status by comparing self‐reports of likeability and popularity with peer reports. Participants were 186 primary school students (51.1% girls; mean age = 10.5 years) and 1513 secondary school students (48.2% girls; mean age = 13.7 years) from predominantly White, middle‐class communities in the Netherlands. Results indicate overestimation of both likeability and popularity, with a stronger effect for likeability. Older participants showed lower overestimation, particularly for likeability. Boys exhibited higher levels of overestimation for both types of status, whereas girls provided accurate estimates of their popularity. Higher self‐esteem was associated with greater status overestimation. Additionally, overestimation of both likeability and popularity was associated with reactive aggression, while overestimation of likeability was also related to proactive aggression. Youth who were rated as popular by both themselves and their peers showed the highest levels of proactive aggression, suggesting that proactive aggression is related to accurately recognizing one's high popularity rather than overestimating it.