With a little help from my friends? Perceived friendship quality and narrative identity in adolescence

Elisabeth L de Moor; Jolien Van der Graaff; Lotte van Doeselaar; Theo A Klimstra; Susan Branje

doi:10.1111/jora.12605

With a little help from my friends? Perceived friendship quality and narrative identity in adolescence

J Res Adolesc. 2021 Jun;31(2):384-401. doi: 10.1111/jora.12605. Epub 2021 Feb 23.

Authors

Elisabeth L de Moor¹, Jolien Van der Graaff¹, Lotte van Doeselaar², Theo A Klimstra^{2

3}, Susan Branje¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Youth and Family, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
² Department of Developmental Psychology, Tilburg University, Tilburg, the Netherlands.
³ Department of Child Study and Human Development, Tufts University, Medford, MA, USA.

Abstract

Stressful events are associated with various outcomes, but there is variability in these associations suggesting that the interpretation of these events is important. This interpretation is reflected in the narratives adolescents tell of events, which are largely constructed in social interactions. We examined the associations of perceived friendship quality with self-event connections and redemption in turning point narratives, in a sample of Dutch adolescents. Findings from regression analyses in a cross-sectional subsample (N = 1087, M_age = 14.8) and a three-wave cross-lagged panel model in a longitudinal subsample (N = 186, M_{age at Wave 1} = 14.7) showed that perceived friendship quality was associated with the presence of redemption sequences and self-event connections within time points, but not longitudinally.

Keywords: adolescence; perceived friendship quality; redemption; self-event connections; turning point narratives.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Adolescent Behavior*
Cross-Sectional Studies
Friends*
Humans
Narration
Regression Analysis