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Characteristic Processes in Close Peer Friendships of Preterm Infants at Age 12

Mary C Sullivan1, Suzy Barcelos Winchester, Jeffrey G Parker

  • 1College of Nursing, The University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI 02881-2021, USA ; Brown Center for the Study of Children at Risk, Women & Infants Hospital, Providence, RI 02908, USA.

Scientifica
|January 12, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Friendship behaviors in adolescents born prematurely were explored. Preterm and full-term peers showed similar friendship quality, suggesting reduced prematurity effects on adolescent social skills.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Psychology
  • Adolescent Health
  • Social Neuroscience

Background:

  • Close friendships are crucial during middle school.
  • Friendship development in preterm adolescents remains understudied.
  • Early life experiences can impact social development.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To characterize friendship behaviors in 12-year-old formerly preterm adolescents.
  • To compare friendship types and behaviors between preterm and full-term peers.
  • To identify key dyadic friendship factors irrespective of birth status.

Main Methods:

  • Longitudinal study of 166 twelve-year-old adolescents (preterm and full-term).
  • Videotaped laboratory play sessions with invited close friends.
  • Q-sort and Q-factoring analysis to identify characteristic friendship behaviors.

Main Results:

  • Friendship duration, age, and contact frequency differed between preterm and full-term groups.
  • Despite differences in contact, friendship activities, behaviors, and quality were similar.
  • Leadership, distancing, and mutual playfulness emerged as key dyadic factors for all adolescents.

Conclusions:

  • Preterm birth has diminished effects on adolescent peer friendship behavior.
  • Interpersonal dyadic processes are vital for peer affiliation and competence.
  • Findings highlight the resilience of social development in formerly preterm individuals.

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