Associations between interpersonal behavior and friendship quality in childhood and adolescence: A meta-analysis

This meta-analysis examined concurrent associations between aggression, withdrawal, assertion, and prosocial behavior and each of positive and negative friendship quality across studies with 22,657 children and adolescents (Mage = 11.71 years; 51.7% girls; 67.7% White). Studies were published between 1995 to 2021 and 32.4% were conducted outside of North America. Aggression was linked to more negative, r ¯ = .19, 95% CI .14, .24, and less positive, r ¯ = -.05 -.08, -.01, friendships. Withdrawal was associated with less positive friendships, r ¯ = -.13 -.18, -.08, whereas prosocial behavior was related to more positive, r ¯ = .29 .22, .37, as well as less negative, r ¯ = -.16 -.20, -.12, friendships. Assertion was related to more positive friendships, r ¯ = .15 .01, .28.