Developmetrics A balanced and short Best Friend Index for children and young adolescents

Abstract

This study evaluated a short friendship questionnaire providing a balanced assessment of positive (e.g., support) and negative (e.g., jealousy) friendship features. In addition, associations with indices of adaptive functioning versus psychopathology were tested. The friendship questionnaire was presented to 548 typically developing children and young adolescents (M _age = 11;01 years). Results confirmed validity and independence of the two friendship features, and showed that negative friendship features were uniquely associated with symptoms of psychopathology, whereas both positive and negative features were, in opposite directions, uniquely associated with aspects of socioemotional functioning.

Keywords:

• Friendship quality
• Questionnaire development
• Children
• Adolescents
• Psychosocial functioning

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Robin Banerjee

This research was supported by the Innovational Research Incentives Scheme (a VIDI grant) by the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO), no. 452-07-004 to CR. We would like to express our thanks to the organizations, schools, children, and parents who participated in the research.