Variations in patterns of attraction to same- and other-sex peers during early adolescence

Differences in attraction to same- and other-sex peers as a function of sex , age, individual characteristics (i.e., aggression), and context were exam ined in a longitudinal study of early adolescent boys and girls (N = 217) t hat covered the transition from elementary school (Time 1) to middle school (Times 2 and 3). Consistent with T. Moffitt's (1993) concept of the "matur ity gap," attraction to aggressive peers, especially attraction to aggressi ve boys among girls, increased with age and upon entry to middle school, as did attraction to peers who stood out in the peer group in easily observab le ways. Attraction to peers who presented features associated with good cl assroom-based behavior decreased. These patterns are discussed in terms of the developmental needs served by associating with particular peers.