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Developmental Trajectories of Friendship Homophily, Racial/Ethnic Identity Commitment, and Intergroup Bias Across
1California State University, Dominguez Hills, Carson, CA, USA. kkogachi@csudh.edu.
Journal of Youth and Adolescence
|July 3, 2025
Summary
Friendship homophily and racial identity commitment are closely linked in early adolescence. For minority youth, developing same-race friendships supports identity, not intergroup bias.
Area of Science:
- Social Psychology
- Developmental Psychology
- Sociology
Background:
- Racial/ethnic homophily in friendships is common, but its developmental links to identity and bias in early adolescence are understudied.
- Understanding these dynamics is crucial for addressing intergroup relations during formative years.
Purpose of the Study:
- To longitudinally examine associations between friendship homophily (same-race/ethnic preference), racial/ethnic identity commitment, and intergroup bias in early adolescents.
- To investigate how these factors develop across the middle school years.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a large, racially/ethnically diverse sample (N=4,576) of early adolescents (mean age ~11.33 years).
- Employed multivariate latent growth curve models to analyze longitudinal data.
- Assessed baseline levels and developmental trajectories of key variables.
Main Results:
- Friendship homophily and racial/ethnic identity commitment trajectories were significantly linked.
- Baseline homophily predicted increased identity commitment over time for racial/ethnic minoritized youth, but not White youth.
- Longitudinal associations between homophily and intergroup bias were weak; however, baseline bias predicted increased homophily for minoritized youth.
Conclusions:
- For racial/ethnic minoritized early adolescents, the development of friendship homophily is more strongly associated with identity commitment than with intergroup bias.
- Findings highlight the role of same-race/ethnic friendships in identity development for minority youth during middle school.
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