Friendships in Middle School
By Jennifer Hahn
Children with friends in middle
school appear to do better than children without a reciprocated
friendship (i.e., where the friendship goes both ways and is not
just one-sided). A longitudinal study of 242 middle school students
evaluated the relationship between friendship and social and academic
measures.
Students were evaluated in sixth
grade as well as in eighth grade. Teachers also completed questionnaires
regarding students’ and their friends’ classroom behavior.
To determine reciprocated friendships, students were asked to
list up to three of their best friends. A reciprocated friendship
was found if two students identified each other.
Most of the students (72%) had
a reciprocated friendship in sixth grade. Of those students who
did not, they were more likely to report higher levels of emotional
distress and sadness and lower levels of self-worth. Their academic
performance also was somewhat lower initially, but improved by
eighth grade although they continued to report higher levels of
emotional distress. The students who had reciprocated friendships
were rated as more helpful, cooperative and willing to share with
others as compared to students without friends.
The study also found evidence that
prosocial friends can motivate students to behave in more prosocial
ways (e.g., becoming more cooperative). Specifically, having a
prosocial friend in sixth grade predicted more prosocial behavior
in eighth grade. It appears that the prosocial friend may motivate
a student to adopt goals to behave in more positive ways.
Finally, however, it does not appear
that friends have an influence on academic achievement. Even though
friends tend to perform similarly academically, they do not appear
to affect each other’s academic motivation or performance.
Source: Wentzel, K. R., Barry,
C. M., & Caldwell, K. A., June 2004, Friendships in middle
school: Influences on motivation and school adjustment. Journal
of Educational Psychology, 96, 195-203.
© Jennifer Hahn
NFO contributor Dr.
Jennifer Hahn is the editor of The
Thinking Parent, a quarterly publication reviewing research
of interest to parents: child development and parenting, pregnancy
and childbirth, physical health, mental health and education.
With more than 12 years of experience in research at the Johns
Hopkins School of Medicine, Dr. Hahn received her Ph.D. from the
University of Maryland Baltimore County and completed her residency
at the University of Virginia Health Sciences Center. She is the
mother of two daughters.
