Socio-Emotional Development of Friendship among Adolescents : Activities with Friends and the Feeling for Friends

Abstract

This study investigated developmental changes of friendship in adolescence. Friendship was analyzed from the aspects of activity and feelings. The relation between these aspects and their respective developmental changes was examined using a questionnaire. The 908 students who participated were from junior high school (326), high school (335), and university (247). Through factor analysis, 4 factors were found in the aspect of activity : "Mutual Understanding", "Intimacy", "Play" and "Closed". As for developmental changes, boys changed from "Play" to "Mutual Understanding", and girls changed from "Intimacy" to "Closed" and then to "Mutual Understanding". In the aspect as feeling, 5 factors were found: "Reliance and Security", "Anxiety", "Independence", "Rivalry" and "Conflict". Little developmental change was found in these factors. The relationship between the two aspects was that every factor of activities was related to the "Reliance and Security" factor in the feeling. From this, students establish reliable and secure friendships with their friends. On the other hand, "Intimacy" was mainly related to "Anxiety", and "Mutual Understanding" to "Independence".