The Role of Reciprocity in Romantic Relationships in Middle Childhood and Early Adolescence

Are Peer Status, Friendship Quality, and Friendship Stability Equivalent Markers of Social Competence?

“…For instance, peer acceptance provides children with feelings of group acceptance in a larger context (Bukowski et al 1993), promotes feelings of belongingness (Bukowski et al 1993), grants access to more potential social partners (Bukowski et al 1996), and helps children form an identity as part of a group (Furman and Robbins 1985). Peer status in the form of popularity affords visibility in the peer group and the power to influence others (Cillessen and Rose 2005;RoseKrasnor 1997), as well as access to more friends and potential romantic partners (Bukowski et al 1996;Carlson and Rose 2007;Dijkstra et al 2010a). Popular youth are also the object of desired friendships among their peers, as adolescents report that they would ideally like to be friends with popular, well-liked, and aggressive peers, more than they desire friendships with peers who are considered prosocial and kind (i.e., qualities that might make a good friend; Thomas and Bowker 2013).…”

Friendship and Romantic Relationships During Early and Middle Childhood

“…Studies focusing on older children (Carlson & Rose, 2007;Connolly et al, 1999) have stressed the relevance of cross-gender relationships before adolescence as a terrain for experiences that prepare children for subsequent romantic encounters. It is then noteworthy that even younger children are attentive to and develop ideas about romantic relationships, even if their direct involvement remains questionable.…”

“…In their separate gender groups, girls and boys learn somewhat different patterns of bonding-boys sharing the arousal of group rule-breaking; girls emphasizing the construction of intimacy, and themes of romance. (p. 188) A more systematic psychological study, involving 1,664 participants from 8 to 14 years old, was conducted by Carlson and Rose (2007) in six U.S. Midwestern school districts; 58.4% of third graders and 49.7% of fifth graders reported to have a boyfriend or a girlfriend, which was not simply a friend who happened to be a boy (for girls) or a girl (for boys).…”

Effects of Adolescent Depressive Symptoms, Pubertal Development, and Interpersonal Relationship Satisfaction on Sexual Risk Behaviors in Adolescent Romantic Couples

“…In addition, rejection and breakups are often repeatedly experienced as romantic relationships come and go during adolescence. These experiences can challenge adolescents' coping skills and self-concepts, particularly among adolescent girls who begin to date early (i.e., before age 14) or who date frequently (e.g., Carlson & Rose, 2007;Davies & Windle, 2000;Davila, 2007;Davila, Steinberg, Kachadourian, Cobb, & Fincham, 2004;Joyner & Udry, 2000;Larson & Asmussen, 1991;Monroe, Rhode, Seeley, & Lewinsohn, 1999;Quatman, Sampson, Robinson, & Watson, 2001). For example, in a cross-sectional study of early-adolescent girls (N = 96; mean age = 13.24 years), Davila et al (2004) found that girls who reported current or past involvement in a romantic relationship reported greater depressive symptoms than girls with no romantic involvement.…”

“…Past research also suggests that the nature and extent of the link between romantic involvement and negative psychosocial adjustment may depend on the type of romantic involvement. For example, in a cross-sectional study of third, fifth, seventh, and ninth grade youths (N = 1510), Carlson and Rose (2007) found that youths with nonreciprocal relationships compared to youths with reciprocal relationships and no relationships reported significantly higher levels of depressive and anxiety symptoms.…”