FRIENDSHIP, TRANSITION TO MIDDLE SCHOOL, AND ADJUSTMENT

拟议研究的总体目标是研究自然， 过渡期间的友谊的性质、功能和来源 小学(五年级)到中学(六年级)，以及 将友谊的这些方面与儿童和家庭特征联系起来 以及对儿童社会情绪的适应。更具体地说，第一 拟议研究的具体目的是确定 儿童个体特征之间的关系，如性别和 心理/行为特征(例如，社交能力，攻击性， 或焦虑孤僻儿童)和(A)儿童在多大程度上 朋友；(B)他们最好的朋友的特点；(C) 他们友谊网络的广泛性；(D)他们最好的 友谊；以及(E)他们最好的友谊的脆弱程度或强度 当他们过渡到中学的时候。第二个具体目标是 评估家庭因素对老年人心理健康的潜在影响 如上所述，儿童最好的友谊的特点。 具体来说，友谊的数量和质量方面将是 与父母教养方式有关，与亲子素质有关 两性关系。第三个具体目标是评估 儿童友谊的变化或稳定可能会鼓励适应 在可能有压力的中学过渡期间。 将对120名儿童(60名女性)进行两个队列的跟踪调查 从五年级到六年级的过渡。课堂评估 将确定每个孩子在五年级和六年级的最好的朋友。 观测数据将从每年录制的互动视频中收集 在每个孩子和他/她最好的朋友之间以及与她/他的母亲之间。 将获得每个年级的访谈和问卷数据， 来自每一个孩子、母亲和课堂老师。社交和情感 “评估”将包括友谊质量、对 友谊、社交能力和心理适应。适应不良 六年级的成绩预计将适用于缺乏最佳成绩的儿童 友谊，或者谁最好的友谊是质量差。为 例如，那些五年级的学生，他们的友谊质量很差， 然而，他们的母亲为他们提供了支持性的育儿经验， 都有望在过渡年发展出正常的友谊。为 对这些孩子来说，适应不良的结果是意想不到的。另一种选择 友谊质量很差的五年级学生，他们的母亲 为他们提供不支持和苛刻的育儿经历 期望找到那些加剧现有困难的朋友 六年级的时候。友谊质量之间的进一步互动 和育儿体验的质量将在以下范围内进行检查 六年级适应性和非适应性“结果”的预测是 担心。

The general objective of the proposed research is to study the nature, quality, functions, and sources of friendship during the transition from elementary school (fifth grade) to middle school (sixth grade), and to relate these aspects of friendship to child and family characteristics and to child socioemotional adjustment. More specifically, the first specific aim of the proposed research is to determine the associations between individual child characteristics such as sex and psychological/behavioral profile (e.g., socially competent, aggressive, or anxious withdrawn children) and (a) the extent to which children have friends; (b) the characteristics of their best friends; (c) the extensivity of their friendship networks; (d) the quality of their best friendships; and (e) the fragility or strength of their best friendships as they make the transition to middle school. The second specific aim is to evaluate the potential influence of family factors on the characteristics of children's best friendships as noted above. Specifically, quantitative and qualitative aspects of friendship will be related to parenting style, and to the quality of the parent-child relationship. The third specific aim is to evaluate the ways in which change or stability in children's friendship may encourage adaptation during the potentially stressful transition to middle school. Two cohorts of 120 children (60 females) will be followed as they make the transition from the fifth to the sixth grade. Classroom assessments will identify each child's best friends in the fifth and sixth grades. Observational data will be collected from yearly videotaped interactions between each child and his/her best friend and with her/his mother. Interview and questionnaire data will be obtained, at each grade level, from each child, mother, and classroom teacher. Social and emotional "assessments" will include friendship quality, conceptions of friendship, social competence, and psychological adaptation. Maladaptive sixth grade outcomes are expected for children who are lacking in best friendships, or whose best friendships are qualitatively poor. For example, those fifth graders who have qualitatively poor friendships, yet whose mothers provide them with supportive parenting experiences, are expected to develop normal friendships in the transition year. For these children, maladaptive outcomes are not expected. Alternatively fifth graders who have qualitatively poor friendships, and whose mothers provide them with unsupportive and harsh parenting experiences, are expected to find friends who serve to exacerbate existing difficulties in the sixth grade. Further interactions between quality of friendship and quality of the parenting experience will be examined insofar as the prediction of adaptive and maladaptive sixth grade "outcomes" are concerned.