Poster #230 - The Development of Gender Differences in Friendship Quality Across Adolescence

• In Event: 1-005 - Poster Session 01
  In Poster Session: PS 01 Section - Social Relationships

Integrative Statement

One of the enduring, but relatively unexamined, popular conceptions of adolescent social development is that girls are more socially adept than boys. Several studies have found girls to report higher levels of intimacy and self-disclosure in their friendships than boys (Buhrmester & Furman, 1987; Lempers & Clark-Lempers, 1993; Sharabany et al., 1981). However, some researchers contend that gender differences in friendship skills have been overstated, or that existing work is inconclusive (Rose & Asher, 2017; Underwood, 2007; Way & Silverman, 2011). Moreover, few studies have used observational methods. This multiple-method, multiple-reporter study sought to investigate whether boys’ friendship quality really does lag behind that of girls in adolescence, and whether and to what extent boys are able to catch up by the end of adolescence.

Methods:

Self-report, peer-report and observational data were obtained longitudinally for a community sample of 184 adolescents (86 males, 98 females) followed annually from age 13 to 19. The sample was demographically diverse (baseline median family income was in the $40,000 to $59,000 range; the sample was 63% European-American, 27% African-American, and 14% mixed race or other race/ethnicities). Every year, adolescents nominated their closest friend at that time to take part in the study. Friendship qualities within these dyads were assessed at all 7 time points, as follows:

- Positive friendship qualities, using self-report and peer-report questionnaires. Self- and peer-reports were averaged to create dyadic scores.

- Observed engagement, using observational methods.

- Observed conflict styles, using observational methods.

Results and discussion:

Developmental trajectories
Growth curve analyses revealed that between the ages of 13-16, girls’ positive friendship qualities and engagement improved faster than boys’ (p<.001 for positive friendship qualities; p<.05 for observed engagement), while after the age of 16, boys’ positive friendship qualities and engagement improved faster than girls’ (p<.001 for positive friendship qualities; p<.05 for observed engagement; see Figures 1 and 2). Interestingly, girls’ initial advantage was not just driven by their own rapid improvement, but by boys’ initial decrease in positive friendship qualities and engagement. There were no differences in the trajectories of observed conflict styles.

Do boys catch up?
At age 19, boys reported lower levels of positive friendship qualities than girls (p<.001). However, the observed engagement and conflict styles of each dyad did not differ across gender at age 19.

Overall, findings suggest that girls may develop the skills to sustain positive friendship qualities and interpersonal engagement earlier than boys. However, girls and boys appear to handle conflict in similar ways across development. By the end of adolescence, boys did not catch up to girls in self-reported positive friendship qualities, but did catch up to girls in observed dyadic engagement. Positive friendship qualities and engagement may tap into different underlying skill sets, but it is also possible that these differences reflect the methods by which data were collected (self-report vs. observed). Boys’ and girls’ feelings about their friendship skills may not align with their observable behaviors.

Authors

• Alida Davis, University of Virginia
  Presenting Author

• Joseph Allen, University of Virginia
  Non-Presenting Author