Associations between Age, Gender, and Group Acceptance and Three Components of Friendship Quality

Abstract

Associations between age, gender, and group acceptance and friendship interactions, communication, and perceptions were investigated among middle-childhood (8 through 10 years of age) and early-adolescent (11 through 13 years of age) elementary school students. One hundred four same-gender, reciprocal friendship dyads varying in group acceptance (high, low, or dissimilar) were videotaped while engaging in art and planning activities. Early-adolescent friendships were coordinated and self-disclosing more than were middle-childhood friendships. Girl/girl dyads made fewer suggestions, requests, and had fewer disagreements than did boy/boy dyads. High-accepted dyads were positive, coordinated, and sensitive more in their interactions, and they disagreed less than did low-accepted dyads. Students’reports of friendship support and satisfaction varied with age and gender; reports of friendship conflict varied with age and group acceptance. The research highlights the importance of direct observation of friendship interactions and the relations between friendship quality and age, gender, and group acceptance.