Friendship in Childhood and Adolescence

What are the 6 categories of developmental importance of adolescents' friendships?

1. Companionship 2. Stimulation 3. Physical support 4. Ego Support 5. Social Comparison 6. Intimacy/Affection

What does friendship look like in elementary school (6-10)?

85% of kids have friends Homophily strengthens Sex cleavage is strongest -Strongest at school

Socialization

Adapting to group norms and values Socialization can be as impactful in adolescent friendships as selection Selection and socialization work together to determine friends' behaviors and characteristics

What is companionship?

Adolescents spend time with each other and partake in shared activities

Friendship Selection

Adolescents tend to choose friends whoa re similar in education orientation, media preferences, leisure activities, risk behaviors, and ethnicity Friendships become ethnically segregated which furthers homophily

How do opposite-sex friendships effect boys?

Can be protective for boys who lack same sex relationships Higher levels of interpersonal intimacy

What does friendship look like in preschool (3-5)?

Children use word friend -Overgeneralize friend to all playmates Proximity becomes foundation of friendship Sex cleavage begins Rise of the imaginary friend

Intimacy

Degree to which two people share personal knowledge, thoughts, feelings

What are intimacy and affection?

Friends develop warm, trusting relationships defined by self-disclosure

What is ego support?

Friends give each other feedback on domains like social competence and physical attractiveness

What is social comparison?

Friends serve as a comparison point about normative development

What is stimulation?

Friends share interesting information with each other, which stimulates excitement and amusement

What is physical support?

Friends share resources and provide assistance to each other

Which gender reports more intimate friendships?

Girls

How do girls benefit from opposite-sex friendships?

Girls see fewer benefits More positive body image

When does friends' influence peak?

In adolescence around the transition to high school

What does friendship look like birth to 2?

Infants: preference in playmates By 1, have regular playmates Young toddlers tend to have one friend --Equally likely to be same or opposite sex Older toddlers=more friends

What are adolescents' friendships defined by?

Intimate self-disclosure

What does friendship look like in middle and high school?

Mixed-sex friendship Time spent with friends increases Trust and loyalty become important Self-disclosure increases

How do friendships change as kids get older?

New intimate relationships develop in addition to old ones Move from sex-segregated friendships to cross-sex Same-sex friends remain important

Friendship Stability

Types of friendships rarely change Development of internal working models in childhood Early attachment relationships are the basis for satisfying relationships later in life

Do boys seek intimate relationships?

Yes