The Development of Sex Differences in Friendship Patterns and Peer Group Structure During Adolescence

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Abstract
In a naturalistic study of sex differences in friendship patterns and peer group structure during adolescence, 130 groups composed of 321 adolescents were observed in three high schools and six out-of-school settings. No sex differences were found in the percentages of males and females observed in dyads or with a companion of the opposite-sex. Male friends knew each other longer than did female friends or male-female friends. Lastly, during adolescence, groups observed out of school became smaller and more heterosexual, while in-school groups remained large and unisexual. The need for further observational research on the patterning of male and female relationships during the transition from childhood to early adolescence was emphasized.