Predicting having a best friend in young children: individual characteristics and friendship features.
In this study, the authors investigated the characteristics that predict best friend status in young children. One hundred and twenty-four preschool, kindergarten, and first-grade children identified their "best friend" and up to four "other friends" in their class. Teachers completed a questionnaire about each friendship to determine positive and negative features of the relationships. First, the authors used individual characteristics to predict if a child had a best friend. The variables age, gender, and peer acceptance predicted that a child would have a best friend. Second, positive friendship features positively predicted best friendships in analyses of all friendship pairs. Best friendships are meaningful relationships to children even at this young age and offer children more positive experiences than do other friendships.
Sebanc
Anne M
AM
Department of Education and Child Development, Whittier College, Whittier, CA 90601, USA. asebanc@whittier.edu
Kearns
Kathryn T
KT
Hernandez
Maria D
MD
Galvin
Katie B
KB
D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D033062:Friends; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D010379:Peer Group; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012919:Social Behavior; D012938:Social Perception; D012963:Sociometric Techniques