Positive Friendship Quality Research Articles

Social and motivational predictors of continued youth sport participation

Objectives The purpose of this study was to examine if youth soccer players' perceived relationships with parents and peers in soccer, and the moderating associations among these social relationship variables, predict soccer continuation over and above motivation-related variables. Design This study used a prospective design by assessing youth soccer athletes' social relationships and motivational outcomes during one season and tracking the athletes' soccer continuation behavior one year later. Methods Continuation behavior of travel soccer athletes ( N = 148), ages 10–14 years ( M = 11.7, SD = 1.0), was assessed one year after completing a questionnaire containing soccer-contextualized measures of perceived parent relationship quality, perceived friendship quality, perceived peer acceptance, perceived competence, enjoyment, stress, and self-determined motivation. Results Logistic regression analyses showed that greater perceived competence, more positive friendship quality, and the combination of mother relationship quality and peer relationships predict soccer continuation on the same team. Conclusions The findings highlight the importance of close social relationships, and the combination of parent and peer relationships in particular, to sport continuation behavior.

Peer Relationships, Social Behaviours, Academic Performance and Loneliness in Korean Primary School Children

The purpose of this study was to investigate how different forms of peer relationships offer children unique support for loneliness and to examine the direct as well as indirect effects of social behaviours and academic performance through the mediation of peer relationships on the prediction of loneliness in Korean children. Four hundred and sixty-six children were recruited from a primary school in Korea. Peer nomination, self-reports, and teacher ratings were used to measure social behaviours, peer relationships, academic performance, and loneliness. The results showed that peer relationships, including peer acceptance, the number of friends, and positive friendship quality, uniquely contributed to loneliness. Peer relationships partially mediated between withdrawal and loneliness. Peer acceptance and friendship quality fully mediated the link between academic functioning and loneliness. The findings were discussed with respect to how the social behaviours and academic performance are perceived and valued in Korean culture.

Moderators of Peer Contagion: A Longitudinal Examination of Depression Socialization Between Adolescents and Their Best Friends

This longitudinal study examined peer contagion of depressive symptoms over an 18-month interval within a sample of 100 11th-grade adolescents. Three types of peer contagion moderators were examined, including characteristics of adolescents (social anxiety, global self-worth), friends (level of friends' peer-perceived popularity), and the relationship between them (friendship quality). Measures were collected using adolescents' and their friends' reports of depressive symptoms, adolescents' reports of social anxiety, global self-worth, friendship quality, and a sociometric assessment of peer-perceived popularity. Results indicated that among girls higher levels of social anxiety were associated with adolescents' greater susceptibility to peer contagion. Among boys, higher levels of friends' peer perceived popularity and lower levels of positive friendship quality each were associated with greater susceptibility to depressive symptom contagion.

Friendship quality, body dissatisfaction, dieting and disordered eating in adolescent girls

This study examined relationships between adolescent girls' body dissatisfaction and disordered eating, quality of same-sex peer relationships and beliefs about thinness in interpersonal relationships, before and after controlling for depression. Correlations between body image, eating and friendship variables were examined before and after controlling for depressive symptoms. Top and bottom quartiles on symptom variables were identified and analyses of variance, with and without depressive symptoms entered as a covariate, were used to compare scores between groups on friendship variables. Grade 10 girls (N=324) completed self-report questionnaires. Consistent relationships were observed between body dissatisfaction and disordered eating, and negative friendship qualities (friend alienation, friend conflict), but not positive friendship qualities (friend communication, friend trust and peer acceptance). The strength of relationships with negative friendship qualities was reduced when depressive symptoms were taken into account. High and low symptom groups differed on perceived friend concern with weight and advantages of thinness in interpersonal relationships before and after controlling for depressive symptoms. Results suggest the importance of addressing negative aspects of peer relationships, social anxieties and beliefs about the importance of thinness in the peer environment as well as depressive symptoms, in interventions for body dissatisfaction and eating problems.

The Protective Role of Friendships in Overtly and Relationally Victimized Boys and Girls

This study was conducted to assess whether friendship quality and gender moderate the association between peer victimization and internalizing distress. Third-,fourth-, and fifth-grade children (N = 670; 315 girls, 355 boys) completed self-report measures of friendship quality, relational and overt physical victimization, anxiety, and depression. Results indicated that several aspects of positive friendship quality, including help and security, serve as effective buffers against both relational and overt victimization. These results were found for girls only and for both anxiety and depression. Results highlight the importance of positive friendship features as protective factors in the link between victimization and internalizing distress.

Prospective associations of co-rumination with friendship and emotional adjustment: Considering the socioemotional trade-offs of co-rumination.

Co-ruminating, or excessively discussing problems, with friends is proposed to have adjustment tradeoffs. Co-rumination is hypothesized to contribute both to positive friendship adjustment and to problematic emotional adjustment. Previous single-assessment research was consistent with this hypothesis, but whether co-rumination is an antecedent of adjustment changes was unknown. A 6-month longitudinal study with middle childhood to midadolescent youths examined whether co-rumination is simultaneously a risk factor (for depression and anxiety) and a protective factor (for friendship problems). For girls, a reciprocal relationship was found in which co-rumination predicted increased depressive and anxiety symptoms and increased positive friendship quality over time, which, in turn, contributed to greater co-rumination. For boys, having depressive and anxiety symptoms and high-quality friendships also predicted increased co-rumination. However, for boys, co-rumination predicted only increasing positive friendship quality and not increasing depression and anxiety. An implication of this research is that some girls at risk for developing internalizing problems may go undetected because they have seemingly supportive friendships.

Goal orientation profile differences on perceived motivational climate, perceived peer relationships, and motivation-related responses of youth athletes

The aims of this study were twofold: (a) to determine if dispositional achievement goal orientation profiles that are reported in the literature would be observed in a sample of youth athletes, and (b) to examine potential achievement goal orientation profile differences on perceptions of the motivational climate, perceptions of peer relationships, and motivation-related responses. Male soccer players (n = 223) aged 9–12 years (mean = 10.9, s = 0.6) completed a multi-section questionnaire containing assessments of dispositional goal (task, ego) orientations, the perceived task- and ego-involving features of the motivational climate, perceived peer acceptance and friendship quality (positive friendship quality, conflict), perceived ability, soccer enjoyment, and satisfaction with one's performance and the team. Four profiles were observed that closely matched those observed by Hodge and Petlichkoff (2000), though in the present study a lower proportion of participants exhibited achievement goal profiles consisting of relatively high ego orientation. Achievement goal profile differences were found for all variables except positive friendship quality, with a general trend for those reporting relatively lower task goal orientation to exhibit less adaptive responses. Overall, the findings support achievement goal frameworks (e.g. Nicholls, 1989) and suggest that further examination of dispositional achievement goals may afford a deeper understanding of social relationships and motivational processes in youth sport.

Peer Relationship Profiles and Motivation in Youth Sport

The purpose of this study was to (a) describe peer relationship profiles of youth sport participants and (b) assess the motivational salience of these profiles by examining profile group differences on sport motivation-related variables. Youth sport camp participants (N = 243) ages 10 to 14 years (M = 11.8, SD = 1.2) completed a multisection questionnaire that contained sport-contextualized measures of perceived friendship quality (positive, conflict), perceived peer acceptance, perceived competence, enjoyment, anxiety, self-presentational concerns, and self-determined motivation. The positive friendship quality, friendship conflict, and peer acceptance responses were cluster-analyzed, yielding five peer relationship profiles that were consistent with expectations based on previous research (i.e., Seidman et al., 1999). Profile differences were obtained for all motivation-related variables and were in theoretically consistent directions. Those young athletes categorized in more adaptive peer relationship profiles had more adaptive motivation-related responses. The findings support theoretical perspectives on social relationships and motivation as well as the efficacy of a person-centered approach to the examination of peer relationships in sport.

Peer and Parenting Characteristics of Boys and Girls with Subclinical Attention Problems

Objective: This study examines peer and parenting characteristics of 149 boys and girls with and without subclinical attention problems. Method: Multivariate analyses showed that children with attention problems had higher levels of negative peer nominations and conflict and betrayal in friendships, and their parents tended to use higher levels of negative parenting characteristics compared to comparison children. Children with subclinical attention problems also reported lower levels of positive friendship qualities, and their parents tended to use lower levels of positive parenting characteristics than comparison children. Results: Beyond normative gender differences (e.g., girls reported higher rates of parental involvement than boys), no significant group by gender interactions were found. Conclusion: These findings suggest that both girls and boys who were identified using a subclinical cutoff for attention problems have more difficulties relative to comparison peers across social domains of functioning.

Shyness, Sociability, and Parental Support for the College Transition: Relation to Adolescents’ Adjustment

A path model was tested in an ethnically diverse sample of 350 college students in which shyness, sociability, and parental support for the college transition were related to loneliness and friendship quality. Furthermore, friendship quality and loneliness were related to depression and anxiety. High levels of shyness, low levels of sociability, and low levels of parental support were related to high levels of loneliness. High levels of parental support for the college transition were related to more positive friendship quality. Multiple regression analyses suggested that loneliness, but not friendship quality, were related to adolescents’ anxiety and depression. In addition, the interaction between shyness and sociability was significantly related to anxiety for African-American adolescents such that adolescents who reported low levels of sociability in combination with high levels of shyness reported the highest levels of anxiety. There was also a significant interaction between sociability and parental support for African-American adolescents such that high levels of sociability in combination with low levels of parental support for the college transition were related to high levels of anxiety. For White adolescents, only loneliness was related to anxiety.

False Consensus and Adolescent Peer Contagion: Examining Discrepancies between Perceptions and Actual Reported Levels of Friends’ Deviant and Health Risk Behaviors

Adolescents' perceptions of their friends' behavior strongly predict adolescents' own behavior, however, these perceptions often are erroneous. This study examined correlates of discrepancies between adolescents' perceptions and friends' reports of behavior. A total of 120 11th-grade adolescents provided data regarding their engagement in deviant and health risk behaviors, as well as their perceptions of the behavior of their best friend, as identified through sociometric assessment. Data from friends' own report were used to calculate discrepancy measures of adolescents' overestimations and estimation errors (absolute value of discrepancies) of friends' behavior. Adolescents also completed a measure of friendship quality, and a sociometric assessment yielding measures of peer acceptance/rejection and aggression. Findings revealed that adolescents' peer rejection and aggression were associated with greater overestimations of friends' behavior. This effect was partially mediated by adolescents' own behavior, consistent with a false consensus effect. Low levels of positive friendship quality were significantly associated with estimation errors, but not overestimations specifically.

Predictors of dyadic friendship quality in adolescence

Five dimensions of friendship quality (conflict, closeness, companionship, helping, and security) were predicted from self-reports and peer reports of physical aggression, relational aggression, and prosocial behaviour, using the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model (Kenny & Acitelli, 2001). Participants were 224 adolescents aged 15–17 years (142 girls, 82 boys) who formed 112 unique same-sex best friend dyads. Significant actor and partner effects were found for both self-ratings and peer nominations of social behaviour and the five friendship qualities. Aggression was associated with self and partner perceptions of friendship conflict and low positive friendship qualities. Prosocial behaviour was associated with self and partner perceptions of positive friendship qualities and low conflict. The findings of this study were mostly consistent between male and female dyads. The importance of examining dependence due to dyads in peer relations research was discussed.

Factors influencing the link between social anxiety and peer acceptance: Contributions of social skills and close friendships during middle childhood

Childhood social anxiety consistently has been linked with low levels of peer acceptance, yet little is known about the factors contributing to this association. We therefore examined the mediating and moderating role of social skills and close friendships, two conceptually and empirically relevant variables which were hypothesized to contribute to the social anxiety-peer acceptance relationship. Fifty teachers and 333 children (M = 9.54 years) participated in this study. Sociometric procedures and standardized questionnaires were used to assess: (a) self-reported social anxiety and friendship quality, (b) teacher-rated social skills, and (c) peer-derived acceptance and friendship quantity scores. As expected, childhood social anxiety was associated with low levels of peer acceptance, and this relation was mediated in part by social skills difficulties. Friendship quality (but not quantity) moderated this process for girls, suggesting that high negativity within girls' best friendships may exacerbate risk for undesirable peer outcomes. Interestingly, friendship quantity and positive friendship quality did not serve a protective function for boys or girls. Some implications, methodological limitations, and suggestions for future research are discussed.

Adolescents’ Perceptions of Parental Management of Peer Relationships in an Ethnically Diverse Sample

Relations between adolescents’ reports of parental management of peer relationships (consulting, mediating, and autonomy granting in regard to peer relationships) and positive friendship quality, friendship conflict, delinquent activity, and drug use were examined in an ethnically diverse sample of 322 7th and 8th graders. Regression analyses revealed that higher levels of consulting and mediating were related to higher levels of positive friendship quality and that higher levels of autonomy granting were related to lower levels of friend conflict, delinquent activity, and drug use. Higher levels of consulting were related to lower levels of delinquent activity and drug use. Relations between parental management and delinquent activity were moderated by ethnicity and family structure. The relation between parental management and drug use was moderated by ethnicity.

Friendship and adjustment among adolescents

This study investigated the relation of friendship and emotional adjustment in adolescents. Both quantitative (popularity, mutual friendships, and number of friends) and qualitative dimensions (perceived positive friendship quality and conflict) of friendship were used. Participants were 618, mostly European American, 8th-, 10th-, and 12th-graders. Structural equation modeling showed that positive friendship quality was the only friendship variable that predicted adjustment. An examination of gender effects indicated that this relation held only for boys. The quantitative aspects of friendship had a small, indirect effect on adjustment through their effects on positive quality. Conflict had a negative effect on positive quality and this effect was stronger for girls than for boys. The role of adolescents’ perception in adjustment was highlighted and suggestions for future research were made.

Perceived Peer Context and Adolescent Adjustment

This study examines the relation between close, dyadic, peer relationships and adolescent adjustment by addressing 3 questions. First, which more strongly predicts adolescent adjustment, the quality or the quantity of close friendships? Second, what are the relative contributions of positive and negative friendship qualities to adolescent boys' and girls' adjustment? Third, how do differing patterns of these friendship qualities predict adolescent adjustment? Participants were 456 juniors and seniors attending 2 midwestern high schools (51% boys; ages 16 to 19, M = 17.2, SD = 0.74) who completed a survey assessing adjustment (i.e., adolescent depression, substance use, positive affect) and the qualities of their closest peer relationships. Results partially supported the hypothesized relations between specific friendship qualities and adolescent adjustment, but the pattern of gender differences was opposite to that predicted. However, negative and positive friendship qualities were jointly associated with...

Developmental patterns in security of attachment to mother and father in late childhood and early adolescence: associations with peer relations.

This study examined developmental differences in two dimensions of attachment security (parental availability and child dependency on parents) in late childhood (N = 274) and early adolescence (N = 267) and their association with peer relations. Children's perceptions of mother's availability and boys' perceptions of father's availability did not differ as a function of age. Dependency on parents, however, decreased with age. Findings highlight the importance of distinguishing between parental availability and reliance on parental help when measuring attachment developmentally. Children's reports of positive friendship qualities and lack of conflict in their best friendships were related to attachment to both mother and father, whereas the presence of a reciprocated friendship and popularity were not. Father availability was a particularly important predictor of lower conflict with best friends. Findings indicate that the quality of parent-child attachment generalizes primarily to the quality of children's close peer relations.