A Longitudinal Study of Friendship Reciprocity in Adolescence (2012)

Undergraduate: Kelci Harris

Faculty Advisor: Mitch Prinstein
Department: Comparative Literature

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This study investigates changes in friendship reciprocity rates for adolescents, as well as social status and social behaviors that might be predictors of these changes. Participants were assessed at four time points, beginning in grade 9 and ending in grade 12. Sociometric nominations of social preference, sociometric status, social reputation, relational aggression and physical aggression were used to measure the friendship experiences in a sample of 366 adolescents at Time 1. Sociometric nominations of friendship were used at all four time points. Adolescents showed significant increases in their rates of reciprocity from grades 9-12. The results offered mixed support for the hypotheses. Social preference scores and physical aggression scores at Time 1 predicted friendship reciprocity rates at Time 4; their relationships with reciprocity rates were positive and negative, respectively. There was no significant difference between the patterns of reciprocity change for the different sociometric statuses, but at Time 1 there was a significant difference between the status means and at Time 2, Controversial students had significantly higher reciprocity rates than Neglected and Average students.