A longitudinal view of peer-friendship relations and their association with parental attachment bonds

Abstract

A sample of adolescent boys and girls, 13, 15, and 18 years of age, was interviewed in order to describe the changing emotional relationships with friends during the adolescent years, and the influence of family relationships on relationships with friends. At age 13, the Parental Bonding Instrument, which evaluates recalled attachment history, was completed, as were questionnaires on intimacy to a best friend and peer-group attachment. The latter two instruments were completed again, when the boys and girls became 15 and 18. The results showed higher levels of best-friend intimacy and peer attachment in girls, and an increase in both measures of relational proximity in boys as adolescence progressed. Significant associations between family and peer relations were found showing that adolescents who reported high levels of family affection at age 13 were likely to report healthier peer relationships at ages 13,15, and 18.