Peer Relations in Childhood and Adolescence: A Comprehensive Overview, Lecture notes of Psychology

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Peers and the

Sociocultural

World

Chapter 15, Part 1 Dr. Stephanie Stern

Chapter Outline

Peer Relations in

Childhood and

Adolescence

• (^) Peer Relationships
• (^) Peer Statuses
• (^) Bullying
• (^) Gender and Peer Relations

Friendship

• (^) Functions
• (^) Childhood
• (^) Adolescence and Emerging Adulthood
• (^) Adult

Functions of Peer Groups

• (^) Peers: individuals of the same age or maturity level
• Important sources of social
  • (^) Information
  • World comparisons
  • (^) Feedback
  • (^) Reciprocity
• (^) Long-term correlations from childhood
  • Low acceptance
    • (^) Unemployment
    • (^) Mental health problems

Peer Contexts

• (^) Types of peers:
  • Acquaintances
  • (^) Crowds
  • (^) Cliques
  • Friends
  • (^) Romantic-partners
• (^) Places of Interaction
  • (^) School
  • Neighborhood
  • (^) Community center

Peer Statuses

• (^) Rate peers you like and dislike Sociometric Status: the extent to which children are liked or disliked by their peer group
• (^) Popular: frequently nominated as a best friend and rarely disliked
• (^) Average: receive an average number of both positive and negative nominations
• (^) Neglected: infrequently nominated as a best friend but not disliked
• (^) Rejected: infrequently nominated as someone’s best friend and are actively disliked
• (^) Controversial : frequently nominated both as someone’s best friend and as begin disliked Five statuses -

Rejected Peers

• (^) Rejected : disliked by peers
• (^) Outcomes
  • (^) Loneliness
  • (^) Hostility
  • (^) Mental health difficulties
  • (^) Criminal problems
  • Depression

Bullying

• (^) Victims of bullying are often bullied

throughout school years

• (^) Loneliness
• (^) Difficulty making friends
• Anxiety
• (^) Social withdrawal
• (^) Aggression
• (^) Cyberbullying

Gender and Peer

Relations

• (^) Gender Composition:
  • (^) Preference for same gender at 3
  • (^) Preference increases until adolescence
• (^) Groups:
  • (^) Males prefer groups
  • (^) Females prefer individual friends

Adolescent Peer Relations -Social Media Transformations

Frequency/Immediacy of experiences

• (^) Frequent social support
• (^) Reassurance
• (^) Negative feedback
• (^) Co-rumination

Amplified experiences and demands

• (^) More feedback seeking

Adolescent Peer Relations -Social Media Transformations

Qualitative aspects of interactions

• (^) Less rich social support

New opportunities for compensatory behaviors

• (^) Exclusive online relationships

Novel behaviors

• (^) Publicize “top friends”

Functions of Friendship

• (^) Companionship
• (^) Stimulation
• (^) Ego Support
• (^) Social Comparison
• (^) Affection and Intimacy

Childhood Friendships

• (^) Based on similarity
  • Homophily: tendency to associate with similar others
• (^) Developmental advantages when friends are
  • Socially skilled
  • (^) Supportive
  • Oriented toward academic achievement
• (^) Disadvantages when relationship is
  • (^) Coercive
  • Conflict-ridden
  • (^) Poor-quality

Adult Friendships

• (^) Still prefer similar friends
  • Job, ethnicity, age, marital status, income, education, gender, and religion
• Gender Differences
  • (^) Women
    • Have more close and intimate friendships
    • (^) More likely to spend time talking
    • (^) Expect being able to express emotions, weaknesses, and talk about problems
  • (^) Men
    • More likely to engage in activities
    • (^) Want practical solutions from friends
    • Disagree with each other more

Friendship in Late Adulthood

• (^) New friendships are less likely
  • (^) Prefer old friends to new
• (^) Fewer problems with friends and

negative friendship qualities

• (^) Smaller social network
  • (^) Higher quality friendships