Peers Flashcards
Friendships
close, mutual, reciprocal, and voluntary relationships
i.e. choose one another
3 stages of friendships
- begin to identify friends at age 3-4 (e.g. live nearby, have nice toys, like to play, rewards vs costs)
- based on shared interests, take care of and support each other
- based on shared interests and values, engage in self-disclosure, intimacy
deeper relationships with increased perspective-taking abilities and time spent with peers
Function of friendships
- buffer in stressful times
- emotional and physical support
- aid development of social skills (e.g. conflict resolution)
- model and reinforce behaviors
- social comparison and learning social norms
- stimulation and enjoyment
deviancy training (may also model negative behaviors)
Cliques
- smaller, voluntary, friendship-based groups
- shared interests and attitudes, and typically background (e.g. intially same gender then shift to mixed genders; initially mixed race then shift to same race)
~50-75% of teens are members of a clique
Crowds
- larger, reputation-based groups
- less voluntary, more based on external assessments
e.g. nerds, jocks, partyers, druggies, populars
Functions of cliques
- similar context as friendship
- serve as social group
- sense of belongingness
- can support/guide interest in romantic relationships for straight teens
same gender cliques > mixed gender cliques > romantic couples
Functions of crowds
- locate individuals within a social environment (e.g. based on behavioral expectations)
- establish social norms
- identity development
- can boost self-esteem/status
4 peer/sociometric statuses
- popular/likeable (12-20%): lots of likes, few dislikes)
- rejected (12-20%): few likes, lots of dislikes
- neglected (6-20%): few likes and dislikes
- controversial (6-12%): lots of likes and dislikes
most common status is average (30-60%)!
Popular/likeable kids
- skilled at initiating and maintaining positive interactions
- good at recognizing and regulating emotions
- good at perspective-taking
- rated by teachers as cooperative, friendly, helpful, leaders
- assertive but not pushy
not the same as perceived popularity (“Who is popular?”)
3 pathways of rejected status
- rejected-aggressive
- rejected-withdrawn
- rejected-aggresdive/withdrawn
most correlated with externalizing problems (e.g. dropping out of school, violence), internalizing problems (e.g. depression, anxiety), academic problems
Predicted outcomes of rejected status
school dropout, antisocial/criminal behavior, less work engagement/competence, less involvement in adult social activities, psychopathology
Rejected-aggressive kids
exhibit a lot of instrumental and relational aggression, physical aggression, and bullying
some evidence for causal relationship
Rejected-withdrawn kids
struggle with social skills and goals, anxious, and timid
tend to experience internalizing problems
Controversial kids
- share characteristics of both popular and rejected children
- less stable over time
also perceived as snobby, stuck-up, pushy
e.g. can be helpful/cooperative but also disruptive/aggressive
Neglected kids
- timid, shy, and lack social skills
- often not bothered by classification
- less stable over time
vs rejected-withdrawn kids, neglected kids simply prefer to be alone and don’t care to be noticed
Average kids
most common!
moderately sociable and average cognitive skills
shifts between neglected and average status common
Predictors of peer status
- social skills/behavior
- temperament
- interpretations of others’ behaviors (e.g. hostile attribution bias, rejection sensitivity)
- parents (e.g. modeling)
- physical attractiveness
- name (common names tend to be more liked)
- race (minorities tend to be less liked), depending on context (i.e. how well-represented)
Perceived popularity
- based on perception vs likability (“Who in your class do you think is cool/popular?”)
- mix of positive and negative traits (e.g. good social skills but some instrumental and relational aggression)
- self-interested goals
- more variable, based on changing norms (e.g. physical attractiveness)
example of relational: asserting one’s status and spreading rumors
Why study sociometric status?
- describe experiences of development
- predict outcomes (separately from friendships)
- application (e.g. interventions to help reduce peer rejection and associated risky outcomes like ADHD)
3 stages of romantic relationships
- interest in romantic partners (~12)
- dating casually (~14-15) and group-based dating
- stable relationships (more time spent together and emotional intimacy)
How do adolescents choose who to date?
- status in early adolescence (e.g. hanging around a similar crowd)
- traits (e.g. kindness, honesty, intelligence) in middle/late adolescenec
- attractiveness (typically more in males)
Influences on romantic relationships
- peers (e.g. likelihood of dating, quality of relationship)
- family (e.g. having older siblings, family instability predict more and earlier dating)
- culture (e.g. less likely in Asian, Latin-Canadian teens)
- media (e.g. reality dating shows)
- sexual orientation (e.g. less likely in queer teens)
Functions of romantic relationships
- establish autonomy/sense of control
- develop intimacy
- sense of belonging
- feelings of self-worth
- status
- gender/sexual identity development
Impact of romantic relationships in early starters
- earlier timing of dating, atypical sequence
- liked to negative outcomes (e.g. externalizing behaviors, delayed social development/less socially mature)
