Brendgen, M., Vitaro, F., Doyle, A. B., Markiewicz, D., & Bukowski, W. M. (2002, Jan). Same-sex peer relations and romantic relationships during early adolescence: Interactive links to emotional, behavioral, and academic adjustment. Merrill-Palmer Quarterly, 48(1), 77-103.
Brendgen (et al. 2002) offers a report of a quantitative study on 312 early adolescents in order to determine the impact of same-sex peer relations and romantic relationships during early adolescence on emotional, behavioral, and academic adjustment. Using SullivanÆs theory of social development, the authors attempt to corroborate SullivanÆs claim that ôthe expansion of the affiliative peer network from same-sex to other-sex peers and the formation of romantic relationships during adolescence are normative developmental tasks related to healthy developmental adjustmentö (Brendgen, et al. 2002, 77).
The purpose of the authorsÆ study is to test this theory by examining whether having a romantic relationship with an other-sex peer in early adolescent would be ôdifferentially relatedö to behavioral, emotional, and academic adjustment based on relations with same-sex peer group (Brendgen, et al. 2002, 80). The authors propose two directional hypotheses in this study:
1) For early adolescents who are accepted by their same-sex peer group or who have at least one same-sex friend, a positive relation was expected between having a boyfriend/girlfriend and adjustment.
2) For early adolescents who are not accepted by their same-sex peers or who do not have same-sex friends, a negative relation was expected between having a boyfriend/girlfriend and adjustment.
Using criteria outlined by Coie, Dodge, and Coppotelli to measure same-sex social acceptance, z-standardized sum scores, and the Self-Perception Profile for Children and the Social Behavior Questionnaire to gather and analyze data, the authorsÆ conclusions are that: 1) having a boyfriend/girlfriend...