ADOLESCENT PSYCHOLOGYChapter 9: Peer & Romantic Relationships

CHAPTER OVERVIEW

Peer Relationships Groups Gender & Culture Dating & Romantic Relationship Emerging Adult Lifestyles

PEER RELATIONS

Peers: individuals of same age or maturity level

Peer Group Functions source of info about the world outside the

family receive feedback about their abilities A source of social comparison

Changes Peer time – twice as much time with peers

than parents

PEER RELATIONS

Essential for healthy social development

Positive Symmetrical reciprocity of relationships Principles of fairness & justice Intimacy skills

Negative Rejection & neglect… “corrupt influence”…

PEERS: CORRUPT INFLUENCE?

Are peer relationships a corrupt influence? Rejection & neglect by peers are related to an

individual’s subsequent mental health & criminal problems (Bukowski, Brendgen, & Vitaro, 2007).

Time spent hanging out with antisocial peers in adolescence was a stronger predictor of substance abuse than time spent with parents (Nation & Heflinger, 2006).

Deviant peer affiliation was related to adolescents’ depressive symptoms (Connell & Dishion, 2006).

FAMILY-PEER LINKAGES

• Parents -- authority over adolescents’ choices?

• Strong motivation to be with their peers & become independent

How can parents influence adolescent choice?• Parents’ choices of neighborhoods, churches, schools, &

their own friends influence adolescent friend selection(Cooper & Ayers-Lopez, 1985).

• Parents can model or coach their adolescents in ways of relating to peers.

• Secure parental attachment -- related to the adolescent’s positive peer relations (Allen & others, 2003; Collins & van Dulmen, 2006).

PEER CONFORMITY

• Conformity: occurs when individual adopt the attitudes or bx of others because of real or imagined pressure from them

• Can be positive or negative• Stealing, cursing, bullying…• Desire to be involved in peer world• Prosocial behaviors

• Peer pressure: a pervasive theme of adolescents’ lives.

• Developmental changes in adolescence often bring about a sense of insecurity.

DEVELOPMENTAL CHANGES IN PEER CONFORMITY

PEER STATUS

Sociometric status: extent to which peers are liked or disliked by their peer group Popular Average Neglected Rejected controversial

Popular Rejected

Controversial Neglected

Frequently nominated as best friend

Infrequently nominated as best friend

Rarely disliked by peers

Actively disliked by peers

PEER STATUSES

SOCIAL COGNTION & EMOTIONAL COMPETENCE

Social cognition• Children move into adolescence & acquire more

social knowledge.• Adolescents vary in what they know about what it

takes to make friends.• Social cognitive perspective: adolescents may have

difficulty in peer relations because they lack appropriate social cognitive skills (Dodge, Coie, & Lynam, 2006).

Emotional competence• Moody & emotionally negative -- greater rejection

by peers.• Emotionally positive -- more popular (Saarni & others,

2006).

HOW TO IMPROVE SOCIAL COMPETENCE• Conglomerate strategies (coaching):

combination of techniques to improve adolescents’ social skills.

• Modeling of appropriate social skills • Discussion• Reasoning• Reinforcement

FRIENDSHIP

Friends: subset of peers; mutual companionship, support, & intimacy.• Relationships with friends are much closer & more

involved Do all adolescents have close friends?

Importance of Friendship Companionship, stimulation, physical support, ego

support, social comparison, intimacy & affection Quality: Smooth vs. conflict Friend’s character, interests & attitudes

SULLIVAN: CHANGES IN FRIENDSHIP In Early Adolescence• Dramatic increase in the psychological importance &

intimacy of close friends during early adolescence• New mode of relating to others• Close relationship competencies

• self disclosure• Giving support• Managing disagreements

• Friends play important roles in shaping children’s & adolescents’ well-being/development.

• Fail to forge such close friendships -- experience feelings of loneliness & reduced sense of self-worth.

FRIENDSHIPS

Emerging Adulthood• Close relationships more integrated & similar• Number of friendships decline

• Intimacy• Similarity

• Friends are generally similar.• Similar attitudes toward school, educational

aspirations, & achievement orientations• Same music, same style of clothes, & prefer the

same leisure activities (Berndt, 1982)

LONELINESS

• Loneliness can be chronic• impaired physical & mental health (Cacioppo & Hawkley,

2003).

• Loneliness or desire for solitude? • 1st year of college -- loneliness • Reducing Loneliness

• Participate in activities that you can do with others

• Engage in positive behaviors when you meet new people.

• See a counselor or read a book on loneliness.

ADOLESCENT GROUPS

Formal & Informal Norms: rules for all

Roles: group positions

Group Function: Personal needs Rewards them Provides information Raises self-esteem Gives them an identity Satisfy need for affiliation & companionship

CHILDHOOD AND ADOLESCENT GROUPSChildhood groups differ from adolescent

groups Childhood groups often are friends or neighborhood

acquaintances groups usually are not as formalized as adolescent

groups

Adolescent groups Tend to include a broader array of members other than friends or neighborhood acquaintances Opposite sex participation – mixed sex groups Large crowd activities (mingling of groups)

Tends to decline after late adolescence

ADOLESCENT GROUPS: CLIQUES & CROWDS

Cliques: small groups; range from 2 - 12 individuals; average 5 – 6 individuals Usually of the same sex & are similar in age. Engage in similar activities What do adolescents do in cliques?

Share ideas, spend time Develop “in-group” identity

Crowds: larger group structure than cliques. Crowds are less personal than cliques Defined by the activities adolescents engage in

“jocks, populars, normals, druggies/toughs, nobodies”

ADOLESCENT GROUPS: YOUTH ORGANIZATIONS

400+ national youth organizations currently in the U.S. (Erickson, 1996)

Junior Achievement; Girl Scouts & Boy Scouts Political: Young Republicans & Young Democrats Ethnic groups: Indian Youth of America

More likely to participate in community activities in adulthood. Have higher self-esteem Are better educated Come from families with higher incomes (Erickson, 1982).

Practice interpersonal & organizational skills important for success in adult roles

YOUTH ORGANIZATIONS

Why not? Adolescents:

Lack of interest in available activities Lack of transportation Lack of awareness about what is available

Parents: transportation costs