Friendship and friendship quality in middle childhood: Links with peer group acceptance and feelings of loneliness and social dissatisfaction.

Parker, Jeffrey G.; Asher, Steven R.

doi:10.1037/0012-1649.29.4.611

Cited by 1,678 publications

(2,002 citation statements)

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“…Like prior research onrejected children (Parker & Asher, 1993), findings in the present study demonstrated that the best friendships of shy and socially withdrawn children were qualitatively poorer than the best friendships of children who were not removed from the peer group at-large. As expected, shy/withdrawn children rated their best friendships as significantly lower in help and guidance, intimate disclosure, conflict resolution, and overall friendship quality than did control children.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 77%

“…Children were considered "best friends" if they were each other's very best or second best friend choice. The identification of a best friendship is similar to procedures used in other studies focused on best friendships (e.g., Parker & Asher, 1993). Although children could nominate any samegender child in their grade as their best friend, only participating children completed the friendship nominations; therefore, it was impossible to determine whether a friendship was reciprocated when a nonparticipating child was identified as a best friend.…”

Section: School Measuresmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…If a targeted child had two mutual school-based best friendships, the child was invited to visit with his or her "very best friend" choice. During the visit, the children and their mutual best friendship completed a number of questionnaires, including the Friendship Quality Questionnaire-Revised (FQQ; Parker & Asher, 1993). A research assistant administered instructions and questionnaires individually to each child.…”

Section: Laboratory Visitmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Most children and adolescents have mutual best friendships; for example, Parker and Asher (1993), reported that approximately 70% of children have a best friend -at least when friendship is defined as a reciprocated nomination among three possible friendship nominations. Given these findings, one might expect that many shy and socially withdrawn children may not lack best friendships.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Best Friendships of Shy/Withdrawn Children: Prevalence, Stability, and Relationship Quality

Rubin

Wojslawowicz

Rose‐Krasnor

et al. 2006

J Abnorm Child Psychol

296

343

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The mutual best friendships of shy/withdrawn and control children were examined for prevalence, stability, best friend's characteristics, and friendship quality. Using peer nominations of shy/ socially withdrawn and aggressive behaviors, two groups of children were identified from a normative sample of fifth-grade children: shy/withdrawn (n = 169) and control (nonaggressive/ nonwithdrawn; n = 163). Friendship nominations, teacher reports, and friendship quality data were gathered. Results revealed that shy/withdrawn children were as likely as control children to have mutual stable best friendships. Withdrawn children's friends were more withdrawn and victimized than were the control children's best friends; further, similarities in social withdrawal and peer victimization were revealed for withdrawn children and their friends. Withdrawn children and their friends reported lower friendship quality than did control children. Results highlight the importance of both quantitative and qualitative measures of friendship when considering relationships as risk and/or protective factors.Keywords social withdrawal; friendship; adjustment Long ago, Jean Piaget and Harry Stack Sullivan posited that peer relationships provide children with a unique context for emotional and social development (Piaget, 1932;Sullivan, 1953). Piaget maintained that the symmetrical power relationship unique to peer relationships afforded children the opportunity to develop perspective-taking abilities, social competence, and advanced moral reasoning. Sullivan emphasized the intimacy of children's same-gender chumships, arguing that such intimacy promotes identity development and contributes to later successes in romantic relationships. The implication of their arguments was that children who were not involved in peer relationships would miss out on developmental opportunities important for positive adjustment and growth (Rubin, Burgess, Kennedy, & Stewart, 2003).Today, the peer relationships literature supports Piaget's and Sullivan's early contentions, clearly demonstrating the significance of peer relationships, particularly friendships, in children's emotional and social development (see Rubin, Bukowski, & Parker, 1998 NIH-PA Author ManuscriptNIH-PA Author Manuscript NIH-PA Author Manuscript development of perspective-taking and moral reasoning skills (e.g., McGuire & Weisz, 1982). Friendship also has been positively associated with measures of self-esteem and feelings of general self-worth (e.g., Bagwell, Newcomb, & Bukowski, 1998) and is considered an important source of social support, particularly under potentially stressful situations (Berndt & Keefe, 1995;Ladd, 1990). Further, researchers have shown that friendship can protect children from the negative externalizing and internalizing "costs" associated with peer victimization (e.g., Hodges, Boivin, Vitaro, & Bukowski, 1999).It also has been shown that children who are without close peer relationships altogether or those who have difficulties with their peers, often experience ...

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 77%

Section: School Measuresmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Laboratory Visitmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

The Best Friendships of Shy/Withdrawn Children: Prevalence, Stability, and Relationship Quality

Rubin

Wojslawowicz

Rose‐Krasnor

et al. 2006

J Abnorm Child Psychol

296

343

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Peer relationship theorists distinguish between competencies required for dyadic friendship and group-level acceptance (e.g., Bukowski & Hoza, 1989;Parker & Asher, 1993). For instance, in later childhood, the skills necessary for high-quality friendships include demonstrating loyalty, trust and engaging in appropriate self-disclosure; whereas those required for peer acceptance include adherence to peer norms for behavior, appearance, and activities.…”

Section: Multilevel Early Childhood Moderators Of Anxious Solitary Chmentioning

confidence: 99%

Early childhood anxious solitude and subsequent peer relationships: Maternal and cognitive moderators

Gazelle

Spangler

2007

Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology

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It was hypothesized that the relation between early anxious solitude and subsequent peer relation would be moderated by early relational (maternal sensitivity) and individual factors (child school readiness). Participants were 1,364 children from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development's Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development. Anxious solitude was assessed by child care providers from 2 to 4.5 years, maternal sensitivity was observed during mother-child interactions from 2 to 4.5 years, school readiness was tested at 3 years, children's interactions with a friend were observed at 4.5 years, and friendship quantity and peer rejection were assessed by first grade teachers. Results indicate that anxious solitary children who had experienced high versus low early maternal sensitivity contributed significantly more actively to positive interaction and less actively to negative interaction with a friend at 4.5 years (these results were contingent on school readiness), and had more friends and were less rejected by peers in first grade. Although high school readiness predicted interactive competency and positive peer relationships in children low in anxious solitude, these benefits were suppressed in anxious solitary children.

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Neurobiological, Psychosocial, and Behavioral Mechanisms Mediating Associations Between Physical Activity and Psychiatric Symptoms in Youth in the Netherlands

et al. 2023

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ImportanceUnderstanding the mechanisms by which physical activity is associated with a lower risk of psychiatric symptoms may stimulate the identification of cost-efficient strategies for preventing and treating mental illness at early life stages.ObjectiveTo examine neurobiological, psychosocial, and behavioral mechanisms that mediate associations of physical activity with psychiatric symptoms in youth by testing an integrated model.Design, setting, and participantsGeneration R is an ongoing prospective population-based cohort study collecting data from fetal life until young adulthood in a multiethnic urban population in the Netherlands. Pregnant women living in Rotterdam with an expected delivery date between April 2002 and January 2006 were eligible for participation along with their children born during this time. Data were collected at a single research center in the Erasmus Medical Center Sophia Children’s Hospital. For the current study, data were analyzed from 4216 children with complete data on both exposure and outcome at ages 6, 10, and 13 years. Data were analyzed from January 2021 to November 2022.ExposuresPhysical activity was ascertained at age 6 years (visit 1) via parent report and included weekly frequency and duration of walking or cycling to or from school, physical education at school, outdoor play, swimming, and sports participation.Main Outcomes and MeasuresPsychiatric symptoms (internalizing and externalizing symptoms) were assessed at age 6 years (visit 1) and at age 13 years (visit 3) using the Child Behavior Checklist. Several mechanisms were explored as mediators, measured at age 10 years (visit 2). Neurobiological mechanisms included total brain volume, white matter microstructure, and resting-state connectivity assessed using a 3-T magnetic resonance imaging scanner. Psychosocial mechanisms included self-esteem, body image, and friendship. Behavioral mechanisms included sleep quality, diet quality, and recreational screen time. Pearson correlations between physical activity measures and psychiatric symptoms were calculated, with false discovery rate correction applied to account for the number of tests performed. Mediation analyses were performed when a correlation (defined as false discovery rate P &lt; .05) between exposure and outcome was observed and were adjusted for confounders.ResultsAmong the 4216 children included in this study, the mean (SD) age was 6.0 (0.4) years at visit 1, and 2115 participants (50.2%) were girls. More sports participation was associated with fewer internalizing symptoms (β for direct effect, −0.025; SE, 0.078; P = .03) but not externalizing symptoms. Self-esteem mediated the association between sports participation and internalizing symptoms (β for indirect effect, −0.009; SE, 0.018; P = .002). No evidence was found for associations between any other neurobiological, psychosocial, or behavioral variables. No association was found between other types of physical activity and psychiatric symptoms at these ages.Conclusions and RelevanceThe integrated model presented in this cohort study evaluated potential mechanisms mediating associations between physical activity and psychiatric symptoms in youth. Self-esteem mediated an association between sports participation in childhood and internalizing symptoms in adolescence; other significant mediations were not observed. Further studies might explore whether larger effects are present in certain subgroups (eg, children at high risk of developing psychiatric symptoms), different ages, or structured sport-based physical activity interventions.

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Friendship and friendship quality in middle childhood: Links with peer group acceptance and feelings of loneliness and social dissatisfaction.

Abstract: The impact of after-school peer contact on early adolescent externalizing problems is moderated by parental monitoring, perceived neighborhood safety, and prior adjustment.

Cited by 1,678 publications

References 40 publications

The Best Friendships of Shy/Withdrawn Children: Prevalence, Stability, and Relationship Quality

The Best Friendships of Shy/Withdrawn Children: Prevalence, Stability, and Relationship Quality

Early childhood anxious solitude and subsequent peer relationships: Maternal and cognitive moderators

Neurobiological, Psychosocial, and Behavioral Mechanisms Mediating Associations Between Physical Activity and Psychiatric Symptoms in Youth in the Netherlands

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