+ Developmental Psychology Friendship Friendships What are friendships? • Intimate, reciprocated positive relationships between people. • Conditions of friendship become evident in peer interactions with age. Elizabeth Crews Football, Bentota, Sri Lanka, 1998 (oil on canvas), © Andrew Macara / Private Collection / The Bridgeman Art Library Peer Interactions and Friendships Between ages 6 and 8 Children define friendship primarily on the basis of actual activities and view friends in terms of rewards and costs. Between the early school years and adolescence Children increasingly experience and define their friendships in terms of mutual liking, closeness, and loyalty. Adolescence More than younger children, adolescents use friendship as a context for self-exploration and working out personal problems. Football, Bentota, Sri Lanka, 1998 (oil on canvas), © Andrew Macara / Private Collection / The Bridgeman Art Library Underlying Reason for Age-Related Changes in Friendship • Age-related, qualitative changes in perspective-taking ability (Selman and Piaget) • Differences in how children think and express their ideas rather than age-related differences in the basic way they view friendships (Hartup and Stevens) Functions of Friendships Friends can provide a source of emotional support and security. • Particularly important during difficult transition periods • Serves as a buffer against unpleasant events • Linked to decreases in adjustment problems when reciprocated Rob Lewine/Tetra Images/ Corbis Support and Validation Adolescents • Report friends are more important confidants and providers of support than are parents • In highly stressful situations, however, support from adults may be more important for children ‘s wellbeing than support from friends Bubbles Photolibrary/ Alamy Football, Bentota, Sri Lanka, 1998 (oil on canvas), © Andrew Macara / Private Collection / The Bridgeman Art Library Age Trends in Reports of Self-Disclosure to Parents and Peers Football, Bentota, Sri Lanka, 1998 (oil on canvas), © Andrew Macara / Private Collection / The Bridgeman Art Library Choice of Friends Preschool friends • Proximity is the key in selection • Similarity in age • Preference for same-sex friends emerges Football, Bentota, Sri Lanka, 1998 (oil on canvas), © Andrew Macara / Private Collection / The Bridgeman Art Library Choice of Friends By age 7 Children tend to like peers who are similar to themselves in the cognitive maturity of their play and in their aggressive behavior. Fourth to eighth grade Friends are more similar than non friends in pro-social behaviors, antisocial behavior, peer acceptance, and academic motivation. Adolescence Friends tend to have similar interests, attitudes, and behavior. Romantic Relationships Selection criteria • Young adolescents tend to select partners that bring them status. • Older adolescents are more likely to select partners based on compatibility and characteristics that enhance intimacy. Bubbles Photolibrary/ Alamy Football, Bentota, Sri Lanka, 1998 (oil on canvas), © Andrew Macara / Private Collection / The Bridgeman Art Library Romantic Relationships Romantic relationships • In the U.S., 25% of 12-year-olds and 70% of 18-year-olds report having had a romantic relationship in the past 18 months. • Between 14 to 18 years, adolescents tend to balance time they spend with romantic partners and friends. • By young adulthood, time with romantic partners increases to the point that it is at the expense of involvement with friends and crowds. Football, Bentota, Sri Lanka, 1998 (oil on canvas), © Andrew Macara / Private Collection / The Bridgeman Art Library The Nature of Young Children’s Groups Preschool groups By the time children are preschool age, there is a clear dominance hierarchy among peer group members. Movie Viewing Task (Charlesworth & La Freniere, 1983) Football, Bentota, Sri Lanka, 1998 (oil on canvas), © Andrew Macara / Private Collection / The Bridgeman Art Library The Nature of Young Children’s Groups Middle childhood groups By middle childhood, status in peer groups involves more than dominance and children become very concerned about their peer group status. Football, Bentota, Sri Lanka, 1998 (oil on canvas), © Andrew Macara / Private Collection / The Bridgeman Art Library Cliques and Social Networks in Middle Childhood and Early Adolescence Cliques are friendship groups that children voluntarily form or join themselves. • In middle childhood, cliques tend to include 3 to 9 children who are usually of the same sex and race. Sociogram of a 5th Grade Class Football, Bentota, Sri Lanka, 1998 (oil on canvas), © Andrew Macara / Private Collection / The Bridgeman Art Library Cliques and Social Networks in Middle Childhood and Early Adolescence Cliques are friendship groups that children voluntarily form or join themselves. • By age 11, much of children’s social interactions occur within the clique. • During the school years, children who are central to the peer group are likely to be popular, athletic, cooperative, and seen as leaders and studious relative to other peers. Cliques and Social Networks in Adolescence Cliques • From ages 11 to 18, there is an increase in the number of adolescents who have ties to many cliques and an increase in the stability of cliques. • During early and middle adolescence, children place high value on being in a popular group and in conforming to the group ‘s norms regarding dress and behavior. Martin Thomas Photography / Alamy Football, Bentota, Sri Lanka, 1998 (oil on canvas), © Andrew Macara / Private Collection / The Bridgeman Art Library Cliques and Social Networks in Adolescence Crowds • Although older adolescents seem to be less tied to cliques, they still often belong to crowds (i.e., groups of adolescents who have similar stereotyped reputations). • Being associated with a crowd may enhance or hurt adolescents’ reputations and influence how peers treat them. Brown & Klute (2003)