Adolescence and Emerging Adulthood: A Cultural Approach Chapter 8 Friends and Peers Adolescence and...

Adolescence and Adolescence and Emerging Adulthood: A Emerging Adulthood: A

Cultural ApproachCultural Approach

Chapter 8Chapter 8

Friends and PeersFriends and Peers

Adolescence and Emerging Adulthood: A Cultural Approach by Jeffrey Jensen Arnett. Copyright © 2004 by Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

Chapter OverviewChapter Overview

Developmental changes in Developmental changes in friendship and peer groups in friendship and peer groups in adolescence and emerging adolescence and emerging adulthoodadulthood

Friends’ influence, popularity and Friends’ influence, popularity and unpopularityunpopularity

Youth cultureYouth culture


Clarifying the DifferenceClarifying the Difference

PeersPeers• People who are about the same People who are about the same

ageage

FriendsFriends• People with whom you develop a People with whom you develop a

valued, mutual relationship.valued, mutual relationship.

Family & Friends in AdolescenceFamily & Friends in Adolescence


Time spent Time spent with familywith family decreasesdecreases

Time spent Time spent with friends with friends

increasesincreases

28 minutes per 28 minutes per day with parentsday with parents

103 minutes per 103 minutes per day with friendsday with friends


Who Do Adolescents Talk To About..?Who Do Adolescents Talk To About..?Youniss & Smollar (1985)

Adolescents are more likely to talk to their friends about opposite sex relationships, and to their parents about career goals. How do you

interpret these data?

Keep in Mind…The importance of friends in adolescence does not mean that close relationships with parents are incompatible with having close friendships.

Why friends?Why friends?


A close friend mirrors my own emotions

Close friends accept me for who I really am

I can tell my friends anything and they will understand

Family & Friends in Traditional CulturesFamily & Friends in Traditional Cultures

Pattern of increasing time spent with Pattern of increasing time spent with peers, decreasing time spent with parents peers, decreasing time spent with parents

More likely to have substantial gender More likely to have substantial gender differences in terms of family relationshipsdifferences in terms of family relationships

Even in cultures where most adolescents Even in cultures where most adolescents attend school, the social and emotional attend school, the social and emotional balance tilts toward familybalance tilts toward family


“When I was younger [my friends and I] just played. Now we talk

over things and discuss problems. Then it was just a good time. Now you have to be open

and able to talk.”

-- 15 year old boy (Youniss & Smollar,

1985, p. 105)

My friend is….My friend is….


(Fischer, 1981)

Late adolescents and emerging adults Late adolescents and emerging adults describe their closest relationship:describe their closest relationship:

1.1. Friendly Friendly (focus on shared activities)(focus on shared activities)

2.2. IntimateIntimate (focus on affection, emotional (focus on affection, emotional attachment)attachment)

3.3. IntegratedIntegrated (combines friendly and intimate) (combines friendly and intimate)

4.4. UninvolvedUninvolved (focus on neither shared activities nor (focus on neither shared activities nor intimacy)intimacy)

College students were more likely than high College students were more likely than high school students to be rated as having an school students to be rated as having an intimate or integrated friendship relationship.intimate or integrated friendship relationship.

Gender and IntimacyGender and IntimacyFemalesFemales MalesMales

Tend to have more Tend to have more intimate friendships intimate friendships than boys than boys

Tend to have less Tend to have less intimate friendships than intimate friendships than girlsgirls

More likely to place More likely to place higher value on talking higher value on talking together as a friendship together as a friendship componentcomponent

More likely to emphasize More likely to emphasize shared activities as the shared activities as the basis of friendshipbasis of friendship


Discussion Detour:Discussion Detour: Explain and discuss possible origins of these differences from a social roles perspective.

Why do adolescents become friends?Why do adolescents become friends?


Similarity in: Similarity in: • AgeAge• GenderGender• Educational orientationEducational orientation• Media and leisure preferencesMedia and leisure preferences• Participation in risk behaviorParticipation in risk behavior• Ethnicity Ethnicity

In adolescence, In adolescence, friendships friendships become less become less interethnic.interethnic.

Discuss why this Discuss why this might be.might be.

Discussion StopDiscussion Stop


Constructing Ideas:Constructing Ideas: Peer Pressure or Peer Pressure or Friends’ InfluenceFriends’ Influence??


Why might friends’ influence be a more accurate description?

Is friends’ influence largely toward negative behaviors? Explain your answer.

From your experience, recall positive and negative From your experience, recall positive and negative influences your friends have had on you. influences your friends have had on you.

Research Issue: Correlation and Research Issue: Correlation and Friends’ Influence on Risk BehaviorFriends’ Influence on Risk Behavior

Finding: A correlation exists Finding: A correlation exists between rates of risk between rates of risk behavior for adolescents behavior for adolescents and their friends.and their friends.

Can we conclude that Can we conclude that adolescents’ behavior is adolescents’ behavior is influenced by their friends? influenced by their friends? Why or why not?Why or why not?


Research Issue: LimitationsResearch Issue: Limitations

1.1. Self-reportSelf-report Adolescent Adolescent egocentrismegocentrism may be associated may be associated

with adolescents’ perceiving more with adolescents’ perceiving more similarity between themselves and others similarity between themselves and others than actually existsthan actually exists

2.2. Selective AssociationSelective Association People tend to choose friends that are People tend to choose friends that are

similar to themselves (not influence, just similar to themselves (not influence, just similarity)similarity)


Friends: Support & NurturanceFriends: Support & Nurturance

InformationalInformational Support Support““What should I do? Should I ask Jimi to go out with me?”What should I do? Should I ask Jimi to go out with me?”

Instrumental Instrumental SupportSupport““Thanks for helping me with my math homework”Thanks for helping me with my math homework”

CompanionshipCompanionship Support Support““Let’s go to the game together – that way we can sit Let’s go to the game together – that way we can sit

together. I don’t know anyone at Riverdale High.”together. I don’t know anyone at Riverdale High.”

EsteemEsteem Support Support““Don’t worry about it, you’re the best guitar player here. Don’t worry about it, you’re the best guitar player here.

You’ll win the songwriting contest next time.”You’ll win the songwriting contest next time.”


(Sullivan, 1953)


How would you explain the How would you explain the decline in leisure activities decline in leisure activities with friends that Osgood with friends that Osgood and Lee (1993) found and Lee (1993) found between ages 18-28? between ages 18-28? Think about your own Think about your own experiences.experiences.


Keep in Mind…Marriage and child-rearing do not explain this decline.

Clarifying the DifferenceClarifying the Difference CliquesCliques

• Small groups of friends who know Small groups of friends who know each other well, do things together, each other well, do things together, and form a regular social groupand form a regular social group

CrowdsCrowds• Larger, reputation-based groups of Larger, reputation-based groups of

adolescents who are not necessarily adolescents who are not necessarily friends and do not necessarily spend friends and do not necessarily spend time togethertime together

Remembering Crowds in Your Remembering Crowds in Your SchoolSchool

Think of your high school days. What are the

Crowds portrayed in these cartoons?

Are they stereotypes?

Using Sarcasm & Ridicule in Using Sarcasm & Ridicule in Crowds & CliquesCrowds & Cliques

Promotes dominance hierarchyPromotes dominance hierarchy

Reduces non-conformity and increases Reduces non-conformity and increases group cohesiongroup cohesion

Directed at outsiders, clarifies group Directed at outsiders, clarifies group boundariesboundaries

Eases anxiety by directing attention to Eases anxiety by directing attention to othersothers

In other cultures, directed at adults, In other cultures, directed at adults, reinforces community standardsreinforces community standards


Relational AggressionRelational Aggression

Non-physical forms of aggression:Non-physical forms of aggression:• GossipingGossiping• Spreading rumorsSpreading rumors• SnubbingSnubbing• Excluding Excluding

Covert, indirect form of aggression Covert, indirect form of aggression common amongst girlscommon amongst girls


Developmental Changes in CrowdsDevelopmental Changes in CrowdsAge GroupAge Group Crowd CharacteristicsCrowd Characteristics

Middle SchoolMiddle School

(Grades 6-8)(Grades 6-8)-less differentiated (two main groups -less differentiated (two main groups – the in-crowd and the out-crowd)– the in-crowd and the out-crowd)

Early High Early High SchoolSchool

(Grades 9-10)(Grades 9-10)

-become more differentiated-become more differentiated

-more influential-more influential

Later High Later High SchoolSchool

(Grades 11-12)(Grades 11-12)

-become yet more differentiated-become yet more differentiated

-more niches for people to “fit into”-more niches for people to “fit into”

-less hierarchical and less influential-less hierarchical and less influential


Keep in Mind…Adolescents do not always accept the crowd label

attributed to them by peers. They may see themselves as too distinctly individual to be categorized.

Why might adolescents Why might adolescents in schools with in schools with multiethnic populations multiethnic populations see fewer crowd see fewer crowd distinctions in other distinctions in other ethnic groups than they ethnic groups than they do in their own?do in their own?



In Traditional Cultures…In Traditional Cultures… There is often only one adolescent peer There is often only one adolescent peer

crowd in the communitycrowd in the community

The peer crowd is less strictly age-graded The peer crowd is less strictly age-graded (variety of ages in the crowd)(variety of ages in the crowd)

DormitoryDormitory Life: adolescents sleep and Life: adolescents sleep and spend leisure time in a separate dwelling, spend leisure time in a separate dwelling, and typically work and eat meals with and typically work and eat meals with parents during the dayparents during the day

Men’s HouseMen’s House Life: male adolescents live Life: male adolescents live together with widowed or divorced men in together with widowed or divorced men in a multi-age dormitory arrangementa multi-age dormitory arrangement


From Adolescence to Emerging Adulthood…From Adolescence to Emerging Adulthood…

Stage 1Stage 1: Same-sex cliques: Same-sex cliques

Stage 2Stage 2: Boys’ and Girls’ cliques : Boys’ and Girls’ cliques spend some time togetherspend some time together

Stage 3Stage 3: Gender cliques break : Gender cliques break down as clique leaders form down as clique leaders form romantic relationshipsromantic relationships

Stage 4Stage 4: Other clique members : Other clique members follow suitfollow suit

Stage 5Stage 5: Males and females pair : Males and females pair off in more serious relationshipsoff in more serious relationships


(Dunphy, 1963)

Discuss Dunphy’s model in relation to the data in the following slide?


Time Spent in Other-Sex Groups or PairsTime Spent in Other-Sex Groups or Pairs

Popularity in Adolescents & SociometryPopularity in Adolescents & Sociometry

SociometrySociometry: a research method in which students : a research method in which students rate the social status of other studentsrate the social status of other students

Social SkillsSocial Skills: qualities most often associated with : qualities most often associated with popularity and unpopularitypopularity and unpopularity

Unpopularity: Two TypesUnpopularity: Two Types

• Rejected Rejected • NeglectedNeglected

Aggression is NOT always associated with Aggression is NOT always associated with unpopularityunpopularity• Controversial Controversial students, high in aggressiveness, may be students, high in aggressiveness, may be

strongly liked AND strongly disliked by different peoplestrongly liked AND strongly disliked by different people


Being unpopular reduces their chances of inclusion in the kinds of social interaction that would help them develop social skills

Interventions for UnpopularityInterventions for Unpopularity


AdolescentAdolescent Intervention FocusIntervention Focus

Neglected Neglected -learning the social skills needed for -learning the social skills needed for making friendsmaking friends

Rejected Rejected -learning how to control and manage -learning how to control and manage anger and aggressivenessanger and aggressiveness

A majority of adolescents A majority of adolescents believe that excluding believe that excluding someone from a group is someone from a group is wrong.wrong.

Discuss how an adolescent Discuss how an adolescent may hold this view, yet still may hold this view, yet still view matters of group view matters of group exclusion as a personal exclusion as a personal choice.choice.



Youth Culture: Three ComponentsYouth Culture: Three Components

1.1. ImageImage –dress, hairstyle, piercings, –dress, hairstyle, piercings, other aspects of appearanceother aspects of appearance

2.2. DemeanorDemeanor – distinctive forms of – distinctive forms of gesture, gait, posturegesture, gait, posture

3.3. ArgotArgot – certain vocabulary and way of – certain vocabulary and way of speakingspeaking

Generate examples of the three Generate examples of the three components from your days as an components from your days as an adolescent, from the media, from past adolescent, from the media, from past generations, etc…generations, etc…


Technological Change & Youth CultureTechnological Change & Youth Culture

1.1. PostPostfigurative Culturefigurative Culture Youth learn from their elders Youth learn from their elders

(e.g., traditional methods of (e.g., traditional methods of farming)farming)

2.2. CoCofigurative Culturefigurative Culture Learning from both elders Learning from both elders

and peers and peers

3.3. PrePrefigurative Culturefigurative Culture Jody teaches her Jody teaches her

Grandmother how to use the Grandmother how to use the InternetInternet


(Mead, 1928)

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