Author Type

Graduate Student

Date of Award

2007

Document Type

Dissertation

Publication Status

Version of Record

Submission Date

October 2026

Thesis/Dissertation Advisor [Chair]

Laursen, Brett

Abstract

Strong evidence links positive and negative features of adolescent friendship to adjustment outcomes. However, the majority of these studies adopt a variable-oriented approach, which can obscure differences between subgroups. This study used a person-oriented approach to examine the patterns of friendship quality and their association with adolescent adjustment outcomes. To this end , both members of 88 stable friendships reported on the quality of their relationship and target adolescents reported on their adjustment (behavior problems, friendship competence, scholastic competence, behavioral conduct, global self-worth, and school grades) at both Grade 6 and Grade 7. K-means cluster analyses identified three distinct patterns in friendship quality at both Grade 6 and Grade 7: /ow positivity, high negativity, and high quality. These groups exhibited structural stability. The high negativity group and the high quality group both exhibited interindividual stability. Person-oriented analyses indicated adolescents in the high quality group tended to have the best adjustment outcomes, whereas adolescents in the high negativity group tended to have the worst adjustment outcomes. Additionally, person-oriented analyses indicated that adolescents whose friendships increased in quality also tended to report increased friendship competence. Adolescents whose friendships decreased in quality tended to report decreased global self-worth . Supplemental variable-oriented analyses generally complemented the findings of the person-oriented analyses. Overall, these findings suggest that many adolescents have enduring friendships that are less than ideal. Moreover, different low quality friendships have different associations with adjustment. These findings also suggest that friendships may not have pervasive influence on adjustment outcomes. Specifically, friendship quality appears to be strongly associated with behavior problems, friendship competence, and self-esteem.

Extent

163 p.

Comments

Includes bibliography.|Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2007.|FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection|Charles E. Schmidt College of Science|Includes bibliography.

Identifier

FA00000871

Format

pdf

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