Friendships and their Developmental Significance

Abstract

Most children and adolescents have a “best friend” and several “good friends”. Friendship networks remain relatively small during the preschool years, with the number of mutual friends averaging 0.88 for boys and 0.63 for girls. The essentials of friendship are reciprocity and commitment between individuals who see themselves more or less as equals. Children’s friendships can also be identified by asking children to name other children who are “especially liked”. Close relationships have beginnings, middles, and ends. Relationship dynamics vary accordingly. Friendships terminate when common ground dissolves and children cease to be behaviourally interdependent. Mutual attraction ensures continuing interaction between the children involved. Friendships are cognitive and emotional resources furnishing the child with maximum capacity for problem-solving as well as security for striking out into new territory, meeting new people, and tackling new problems. Observations in child care centres show considerable differentiation in the social interaction occurring among infants and toddlers.

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