Face-to-face Interaction Behaviors of Preadolescent Same-Sex and Opposite-Sex Friends and Acquaintances

Having close friends in grade school has been associated with better social skills , and in at least one study, sixth graders who had close friends achieved higher academic levels by eighth grade, highlighting the importance of grade school friendships. Children attending the same school have the opportunity to develop and maintain friendships. In one study, for example, 76% of friendships were maintained acrosssecond to sixth grade. Although most of the friendship studies have involved same-sex pairs, occasionally even in early grade school, children select opposite gender best friends. For example, in a study on third and fourth graders, 14% of the sample had cross-sex friendships that were their primary or only friendships.

Very little is known about the face-to-face interaction behaviors of Preadolescent friends and acquaintances, either in their same-sex or opposite-sex friendships, although face-to-face interaction researchers have suggested that people who frequently interact with each other come to behave in similar ways. Face-to-face interactions of 56 sixth grade friend and acquaintance pairs were videotaped in an earlier study by our group. Read more................