Influences of romantic relationships on same -sex friendships in adolescence: Conceptions of friendship features and adjustment
Abstract
The purposes of this study were to examine whether adolescents' conceptions of the influences of romantic relationships on the features of same-sex friendships varied with age and sex, and to examine how adolescents' adjustment is related to their conceptions of friendships when one member of the friendship has a romantic relationship. Ninth (n = 198) and eleventh graders (n = 152) completed a questionnaire about their conceptions of friendship features both when one friend had a romantic relationship and when neither friend had a romantic relationship. Students also reported on the features of their best friendship and on their social, psychological, and academic adjustment. The results showed that conceptions of the impact of romantic relationships on friendship varied with age and sex. Ninth and eleventh graders viewed a friendship in which one friend had a romantic relationship as having less frequent interactions and less self-esteem support and intimacy, but more conflict, rivalry, and disloyalty than a friendship in which neither friend had a romantic relationship. Moreover, the effect of a romantic relationship on frequency of interaction was greater in the eleventh than the ninth grade. Eleventh graders also viewed friends as engaging in less co-rumination when one friend had a romantic partner than when neither friend had a romantic partner, while ninth graders did not. Compared to boys, girls viewed friendships as lower in intimacy and co-rumination and higher in conflict and rivalry when one friend had a romantic relationship than when neither friend had a romantic relationship. Adolescents who were better adjusted academically viewed friendships in which one friend had a romantic relationship as more supportive. Students who perceived themselves as more accepted by their peers had conceptions of such friendships as higher in intimacy. These results imply that with increasing age, romantic relationships have an increasingly negative impact on the closeness of friendships, compared to boys, girls' friendships are more adversely influenced by a friend having a romantic relationship, and adolescents who expect friendships with a friend who has a romantic relationship to be characterized by greater support and intimacy and less conflict and rivalry show better adjustment.
Degree
Ph.D.
Advisors
Berndt, Purdue University.
Subject Area
Social psychology|Developmental psychology
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