FRIENDSHIP, TRANSITION TO MIDDLE SCHOOL, AND ADJUSTMENT

拟议研究的总体目标是研究自然， 质量，功能，和友谊的来源在过渡期间， 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 和儿童社会情绪适应的关系更具体地第一 拟议研究的具体目标是确定 儿童的个体特征，如性别， 心理/行为概况（例如，社交能力强，有进取心 （一）儿童的行为;（二）儿童的 （B）他们最好的朋友的特点;（C）他们的朋友的特点。 他们的友谊网络的广泛性;（d）他们最好的质量 友谊;以及（e）他们最好的友谊的脆弱性或强度 当他们过渡到中学的时候。第二个具体目标是 评估家庭因素对儿童的潜在影响， 孩子们最好的友谊的特点如上所述。 具体来说，友谊的定量和定性方面将是 与父母教养方式和亲子关系的质量有关 关系第三个具体目标是评估 孩子们的友谊的变化或稳定可能会鼓励他们适应 在向中学过渡的潜在压力中。 两组120名儿童（60名女性）将被随访，因为他们 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最好的朋友。 将从每年的录像互动中收集观察数据 每个孩子和他/她最好的朋友以及她/他的母亲之间的关系。 将在每个年级获得访谈和问卷调查数据， 从每个孩子，母亲，和课堂老师。社会和情感 “评估”将包括友谊质量、 友谊、社会能力和心理适应。适应不良 六年级的结果预计谁是缺乏最好的儿童 友谊，或者他们最好的友谊质量很差。为 例如，那些友谊质量差的五年级学生， 然而，他们的母亲为他们提供了支持性的育儿经验， 在过渡年里会发展正常的友谊为 这些孩子，适应不良的结果是不期望的。替代地 五年级的学生，他们的友谊质量很差，他们的母亲 为他们提供不支持和严厉的养育经历， 希望找到那些加剧现有困难的朋友 在六年级的时候友谊质量之间的进一步互动 和质量的养育经验将被审查，只要 预测适应性和适应不良的六年级“结果”是 关注

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characteristics such as sex and psychological/behavioral profile (e.g., socially competent, aggressive, or anxious withdrawn children) and (a) the extent to which children have friends; (b) the characteristics of their best friends; (c) the extensivity of their friendship networks;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.