Other-Sex Friendship Networks and the Development of Romantic Relationships in Adolescence

Abstract

This longitudinal study examines 92 white middle-class participants' descriptions of their friendship networks from childhood to late adolescence, and their romantic relationships from middle to late adolescence. As expected, having larger other-sex friendship networks in early adolescence is related to the development of affiliative qualities in romantic relationships in middle adolescence and the maintenance of longer relationships in middle and late adolescence. In addition, girls have larger other-sex friendship networks than boys and are more likely to describe romantic relationships in terms of self-disclosure and support as well as other qualities of close friendships. The findings are discussed as they pertain to the importance of other-sex friendships and gender for the timing and trajectories of adolescent romantic relationships.