Friendship and friendship quality in middle childhood: Links with peer group acceptance and feelings of loneliness and social dissatisfaction.
1993/07/01 by Jeffrey G. Parker, Steven R. Asher · 2,142 citations
Psychology · #Attachment and Relationship Dynamics #Bullying, Victimization, and Aggression #Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development #Developmental psychology #Feeling #Friendship #Interpersonal relationship #Loneliness #Peer acceptance #Peer group #Peer relations #Psychology #Psychotherapist #Social isolation #Social psychology #Sociometry
paper · doi:10.1037/0012-1649.29.4.611
published in Developmental Psychology 29(4), 611-621 (American Psychological Association)
openalex publication_date 1993/07/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/04
Abstract
The distinction between friendship adjustment and acceptance by the peer group was examined. Third- through 5th-grade children (N = 881) completed sociometric measures of acceptance and friendship, a measure of loneliness, a questionnaire on the features of their very best friendships, and a measure of their friendship satisfaction. Results indicated that many low-accepted children had best friends and were satisfied with these friendships. However, these children's friendships were lower than those of other children on most dimensions of quality. Having a friend, friendship quality, and group acceptance made separate contributions to the prediction of loneliness
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