L9 - Child: Friends

Question 1

A ‘friend’ typically includes notions of:

Answer 1

Reciprocity (not necessarily an even exchange)

Mutuality (shared liking and preference to spend time together)

Question 2

At what age do babies appear to try and get attention of other babies?

When do they try to imitate their peers?

Answer 2

Attention: 6-9 months

Imitation: 9-12 months

Question 3

Are babies primed to form relationships?

Answer 3

Yes

Very young babies show excitement when see each other and often stares at other babies

Question 4

At what age do toddlers show peer preference?

Answer 4

As early as 12-18 months

Observations of touching, smiling, interacting

From 20 months - start to see peer preferences

Deliberate initiation of more interactions with some children rather than others. Contribute more in games with them.

Question 5

What factors do we typically see in developing new friendships in toddlers?

Answer 5

Pretend Play

Shared understanding

Higher rates of conflict (but more likely to resolve it)

Question 6

In pre-school friendships, what is the defining feature?

Answer 6

Concrete reciprocities -

“I know Joe is my friend because we play this way” “we play with…”

Question 7

What is the defining feature of friends in primary school (6-8 years)

Answer 7

Shared activities

• “fun to be with”

Question 8

What is the defining feature of friends in primary school (9-10 years)

Answer 8

More sensitive to the needs of others

Concept of loyalty develops

Question 9

What is the defining features of friends in adolescents?

Answer 9

Support (friends turn to each other for support needs)

Context for self-exploration (self identity; if I try this out, will I get away with it etc.)

Validation (validates who you are as a person if you fit in)

Other high emotional content

Question 10

What are the 5 stages (0-4) of Selman’s friendship model?

Answer 10

0: Momentary Playmates

1: One Way Assistance

2: Fair Weather Cooperation

3: Intimate/Mutually Shared

4: Mature Friendship

Question 11

Name, site the age and explain stage 0 of Selman’s friendship model.

Answer 11

Momentary Playmates (3-7years)

Friends live close by

Person plays with child at that moment

About having fun

More about specific encounters

Little understanding of enduring relationship

Question 12

Name, site the age and explain stage 1 of Selman’s friendship model.

Answer 12

One Way Assistance (4-9 years)

• Whats in it for me
• Someone who does nice things for you
• Little thought about what you do for the friend
• Close friend is someone you knkow better than others

Question 13

Name, site the age and explain stage 2 of Selman’s friendship model.

Answer 13

Fair Weather Cooperation (6-12 years)

• Becoming more reciprocal
• Still focused more on specific incidents and less about enduring relationship
• Concern with fairness

Question 14

Name, site the age and explain stage 3 of Selman’s friendship model.

Answer 14

Intimate/Mutually Shared (11-15 years)

• Begin to reflect on intimacy and mutuality
• Help each other without keeping score
• Confidant
• Problem solve together
• Inseparable

Question 15

Name, site the age and explain stage 4 of Selman’s friendship model.

Answer 15

Mature Friendship (12+ years)

• Emotional closeness, trust and support
• Common interests
• Deeper feelings
• Friendships endure even when not in close proximity

Question 16

What are criticisms of Selman’s stage model of friendship?

Answer 16

1) Stages are not concrete - development can alter depending on the individual
* (friendship heavily socially situated, whats happening in the immediate environment)*
2) Age and stages are not necessarily reliable

Question 17

According to Selman, in general how do friendships develop?

Answer 17

In general, friendship develops as children are increasingly able to balance intimacy needs as well as autonomy needs

Question 18

What are typical gender differences in friendships in childhood development?

Answer 18

Activities and expectations tend to differ

Boys: Activity, achievement

Girls: Emotional closeness, self-disclosure

Question 19

Where is there little difference in male friendships and female friendships?

Answer 19

Amount of conflict reported

Time spent together

Question 20

What are some age-related changes that occur in regards to friendship with different genders?

Answer 20

Mixed-gender friendships common in pre-school children, re-emerge in adolescents. Less common in primary school aged children.

Question 21

What are 6 cognitive and social skills developmental benefits of friendship?

Answer 21

1) Understanding and moderating emotion
2) Elaborating and developing ideas
3) Problem solving
4) Enhancing creativity
5) Protective buffer against bullying/teasing
6) Complexity of play

Question 22

There are long-term benefits of friendships

What can having reciprocated friendships at grade 5 predict?

Answer 22

More success academically and in family and social life at age 23

Lower incidence of problems with the law

Less mental health issues

Greater feelings of self-worth in adulthood

Early friendships make a big difference in later life (doesn’t have to be long lasting friendships, just what they rate as good)

Question 23

Friendships build resilience.

What are 3 ways in which friendships build resilience?

Answer 23

1) Good quality friendships may compensate for poor family socialisation
2) Friendship may provide a buffer for family stress/breakdown
3) Having a good friend buffers against social ioslation or victimisation
* Research suggests friends are especially useful in times of stress*

Question 24

What is the difference between friendship and peers?

Answer 24

Friendship = closer circle

Peers = broader circle (from which your friends will normally come)

Question 25

What are the 4 characteristics of peers?

Answer 25

1) People of approximately same age and status
2) Share many of the same interests, provide validation of characteristics that the group members have in common
3) Provide a sense of belonging
4) Don’t have the same level of emotional closeness, affiliation as friends (still influential in social development)

Question 26

In early adolescence, how does peer group influence social development?

Answer 26

There is a high value in conforming to group’s norms

e.g. dress, behaviour etc.

Question 27

As adolescence age, how does that change their social behaviour when in peer groups compared to early adolescence?

Answer 27

They look for more autonomy

Individual relationships increase and importance of peer group decreases

Question 28

In middle childhood most children become part of a stable friendship group

What 3 things does this provide the child?

Answer 28

1) They share interests with peers
2) Provides validation
3) Provides a sense of belonging

Question 29

How do peer norms and status present a challenge to friendship?

Answer 29

Changing behaviour to fit in and gain a higher status might damage close friendships.

Especially in boys where intimacy is less of a focus and status is more important.

Question 30

How do cultural norms play a role in friendships and peer groups?

Answer 30

Childs contact with unrelated peers varies around the world

Norms around intimacy vary around the world

Question 31

How do we typically define bullying?

Answer 31

Behaviour that is intentionally negative or hurtful to others

An imbalance of power involved

Repeated and unfair attacks

Over or covert (physical, verbal or social, relational)

Question 32

What are the features of overt bullying?

Answer 32

Direct physical aggression

Hitting, kicking, intimidation, theft, destruction of property

Direct verbal aggression

e.g. name calling, jeering, teasing, threats

Question 33

What are the 5 features of covert bullying?

Answer 33

Social exclusion and isolation

Rejection

Rumour spreading

‘stealing’ friends

Directed towards damaging self-esteem and/or social status

Question 34

What does the evidence suggest that frequent bullying/victimisation has on children?

Answer 34

Loss of self-esteem

Psychological problems including loneliness

Absenteeism, poor school performance

Question 35

What are the 3 types of bully interventions?

Answer 35

School Based Interventions

Individual - for victims

Individual - for bullies

Question 36

What is a school based bullying intervention?

What is typically the problem with these?

Answer 36

Whole school approaches - anti-bulling policies and management strategies at all levels

Problems: Relatively few properly evaluated

Question 37

What is the main thing involved with bullying interventions for individual victims?

What are 6 features of this?

Answer 37

Empowerment for victims

1) Understanding a dealing with feelings
2) Recognition and reasons for bullying
3) Building self-esteem
4) Developing confident communication skills
5) Social Supports
6) Management strategies

Question 38

What are 4 things involved with bullying intervention for bullies?

Answer 38

1) Reactive bullying - attribution re-training
2) Investigation of family factors (e.g. intervention with parents)
3) Modeling social concern, promoting pro-social behaviour
4) Consistent consequences for bullying behaviour