The aim of the study was to examine the relationship between friendship functions and social problem-solving among adolescents in same- and opposite-sex friendships at ages 12 and 16 (N = 304). Social problem-solving was assessed using the Social Problem-Solving Inventory–Revised, while friendship functions were measured using the McGill Friendship Questionnaire. Both instruments demonstrated satisfactory psychometric properties in all age subsamples. The analyses focused on age-, sex-, and friendship-type differences in friendship functions and social problem-solving characteristics. Based on the results, reliable alliance and self-validation were the most important friendship functions in both same- and opposite-sex friendships. Same-sex friendships were characterized more strongly by positive orientation and rational problem-solving, whereas opposite-sex friendships showed higher levels of negative orientation, impulsivity, and avoidance. In addition, several previously identified age- and sex-related characteristics of adolescent friendships were partially confirmed. The findings emphasize the important role of friendships in adolescents’ social functioning and suggest that friendship context is associated with the quality of social problem-solving. At the same time, the interpretation of opposite-sex friendship patterns and profile-specific differences requires caution because of the relatively small subgroup sizes. These findings indicate the need for further research on friendship-specific social problem-solving in adolescence.
Kasik et al. (Thu,) studied this question.