Coping behavior against the inability to “take a hint” in a contemporary adolescent group of friends

Abstract

In contemporary adolescent friendships, there is a problem of people attacking those who fail to “take a hint.” In this study, we introduced four scenarios in which one friend failed to “take a hint” based on Bateson's concept of the communication mode. We also investigated the differences in the coping behavior that the adolescent chose, depending on their relationship with their group of friends. We conducted a questionnaire survey of 226 university students. As a result, four types of coping behaviors for people who failed to “take a hint” were found: “Ignore,” “Criticize,” “Jeer or Tease,” and “Follow Along.” Furthermore, an adolescent's relationship with their friend group was associated with their coping behavior. Adolescents who built an avoidant friendship tended to choose “Ignore” as their coping behavior. On the other hand, adolescents who built a mob-like friendship were likely to choose “Jeer or Tease.” This discussion deals with the possibility of becoming sensitive to the people who fail to “take a hint,” if the adolescent needs the friendships in the group.