Adolescent Friendship Selection and Termination: The Role of Similarity

We examined friendship selection and termination on a wide variety of variables using longitudinal data from 1183, 6th, 8th and 10th graders in two school systems. To control for the effects of peer influence on similarity, adolescents were matched at Time 1 with the persons they would become friends with by Time 2. Adolescents were significantly similar to Time 1 about-to-be friends on minor delinquency and cigarette and alcohol use, the number of reciprocated friendships and activities suggesting that friendship selection was based on these variables. The similarity seen on covert variables such as values and personality could be accounted for by selection on problem behaviors. Adolescents were as similar to stable friends as to about-to-be friends, suggesting that selection plays a stronger role in similarity than influence. Termination was related to fewer variables than was selection.