The Development of Friendships in Children and Adolescents

아동과 청소년의 친구관계 발달에 관한 연구

This study examined the developmental characteristics of friends and disliked peers in 169 children and adolescents, including 44 preschool children, 43 primary school, 42 middle school, and 40 university students. Their descriptions of 2 same gender friends and 2 disliked same gender peers were categorized with an 81 category coding system. Comparisons across age and sex were made by a cross-tabulation test. Results showed that the reported characteristics of friends and disliked peers varied by age, but there was no sex difference. That is, younger children liked their friends because they played together, their friends were generous and attractive, but older children liked friends because they had some similarity, were reliable allies, caring and concerned. Younger children's disliked peers were aversive, aggressive and hyperactive while older children's disliked peers were dissimilar and snobbish.