Friendship Claims and Expectations among Children and Adults

REISMAN, JOHN M., and SHORR, SUSAN I. Friendship Claims and Expectations among Children and Adults. CHILD DEVELOPMENT, 1978, 49, 913-916. Males and females in grades 2 through 8 and in age levels 15-18, 25-35, 40-50, and 55-65 were interviewed (N = 330; 30 at each grade and age level) and asked for the number of friends they have, their friends' names, and what they liked about having a friend. Analysis of variance revealed significant age effects for both number of friends claimed and named. The findings indicated a relatively sharp increase between grades 2 and 3 and a smaller, but significant, increase between childhood and adolescence. Also with age, there was a decrease in expecting friends to be pleasurable or sources of entertainment and an increase in expecting friends to be useful. These results were discussed in terms of changing peer expectations and influences during childhood, adolescence, and adulthood.