The Relations Between Friendship Quality, Ranked-Friendship Preference, and Adolescents' Behavior With Their Friends

Fifty-two girls and 28 boys and their same-sex friends rated the quality of their friendship, ranked their preference for this friendship relative to other friendships, and participated in a videotaped discussion. Boys and girls significantly differed in perceived-friendship quality and observed behavior with friends. Specifically, girls rated their friendship quality more positively and less negatively and they showed more positive and less negative behavior in interaction with their friends than boys. No sex differences emerged in the relation of perceived-friendship quality to adolescents' own behavior and to their friend's behavior. Ranked-friendship preference was also significantly related to behavior, albeit to a lesser extent than perceived-friendship quality. The potential mechanisms underlying adolescents' friendship experiences are discussed.

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