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Friendship quality and social information processing in clinically anxious children.
1DCRC, School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Level 3, AGSM Building, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia, jessica.baker@unsw.edu.au.
Child Psychiatry and Human Development
|February 28, 2013
Summary
Friendship quality impacts children's social information processing (SIP). Positive friendships enhance positive SIP, while lower quality and anxious friends predict worse social responses in children with social phobia.
Area of Science:
- Child Psychology
- Social Neuroscience
- Clinical Psychology
Background:
- Social information processing (SIP) is crucial for social functioning.
- Friendship quality (FQ) may influence children's SIP, particularly in clinical populations.
- Social phobia (SP) is associated with social interaction difficulties.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the association between perceived friendship quality (FQ) and social information processing (SIP) in children.
- To compare SIP in children with social phobia (SP), other anxiety disorders (No-SP), and nonclinical children.
- To investigate the role of close friendships in modulating children's SIP.
Main Methods:
- Three groups of children (7-12 years) and their friends were studied: SP, No-SP, and nonclinical.
- Participants completed a vignette measure of SIP.
- FQ and social anxiety of friends were assessed.
Main Results:
- Positive and negative FQ were associated with positive and negative SIP, respectively.
- SP children showed lower positive SIP than No-SP children.
- Discussion with a friend improved positive SIP for all children.
Conclusions:
- Close friendships play a significant role in the SIP of both clinical and nonclinical children.
- Lower FQ and having a more socially anxious friend predicted poorer SIP outcomes.
- Interventions targeting friendship quality may benefit children's social functioning.
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