A Longitudinal Study on the Development of the Relationship with Friends in Childhood

아동의 친구관계 발달에 대한 종단적 연구

The purpose of this study is to explore the relation among mother's rearing attitude in infancy, children's self-concept and the relationship with friends in childhood by using the longitudinal data originated by the Korean Institute for Research in the Behavioral Sciences(KIRBS). Specifically, using Structural Equation Modeling(SEM), the causal relation among the mother's rearing attitude in infancy, children's self-concept and the relationship with friends in childhood were examined across a 8-year-period. The subjects were 68 children(38 boys and 30 girls) from the KIRBS longitudinal data. The results showed that mother's rearing attitude in infancy can be consequential environmental variable factor, and children's self-concept do not play an essential intermediate role between mother's rearing attitude in infancy and the relationship with friends in childhood. This study used a newly attempted method in the field of Human Development.