MOTHERS AND CHILDRENS FRIENDSHIPS - INTERGENERATIONAL ASSOCIATIONS

We assessed predictability of the friendship participation and quality , as well as the popularity, of 154 children 8 to 12 years of age from measures of their mothers' social relationships. Measures included qu estionnaires assessing qualities of the mothers' best friendships and the quality of the marital relationship, and an interview measure of m aternal acceptance of the child. Results indicated that qualities of t he mothers' best friendship, in particular self-referent reward qualit ies, significantly predicted child friendship participation, the close ness and helpfulness of children's friendships, child popularity and m aternal acceptance. Marital status was an important predictor, and mar ital quality a lesser predictor, of child friendship quality but not o f popularity. Results suggest domain-specific parental influences on c hildren's friendships which are distinct from peer popularity.