Time with peers from middle childhood to late adolescence: Developmental course and adjustment correlates

Chun Bun Ian LAM, Susan M. MCHALE, Ann C. CROUTER

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209 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

This study examined the developmental course and adjustment correlates of time with peers from age 8 to 18. On seven occasions over 8 years, the two eldest siblings from 201 European American, working- and middle-class families provided questionnaire and/or phone diary data. Multilevel models revealed that girls' time with mixed-/opposite-sex peers increased beginning in middle childhood, but boys' time increased beginning in early adolescence. For both girls and boys, time with same-sex peers peaked in middle adolescence. At the within-person level, unsupervised time with mixed-/opposite-sex peers longitudinally predicted problem behaviors and depressive symptoms, and supervised time with mixed-/opposite-sex peers longitudinally predicted better school performance. Findings highlight the importance of social context in understanding peer involvement and its implications for youth development. Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Child Development © 2014 Society for Research in Child Development, Inc.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1677-1693
JournalChild Development
Volume85
Issue number4
Early online dateFeb 2014
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2014

Citation

Lam, C. B., McHale, S. M., & Crouter, A. C. (2014). Time with peers from middle childhood to late adolescence: Developmental course and adjustment correlates. Child Development, 85(4), 1677-1693.

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