Abstract

This research is to study the perceptions of supportive relationships of their own friendships. Subjects of this reserch are those of 3rd and 6th graders of elementary school and 3rd graders of middle school total of 259 boys and girls. The questionnaire used in this study was made following the method of Berndt & Perry(1986)s research. The purpose of this qustionnaire is supportive relationships, which consists of 6 subvariables such as play/association, prosocial behavior, intimacy, loyalty, attachment/self-esteem enhancement, and information. The data are analyzed by 3 × 2 × 2(grade × sex × friendship) ANOVA and t-test as supplementary method. The results are : (a)Ratings of friend and acquaintance showed a significant difference in all three grades. This result suggests that children perceive their actual friendship as supportive one just as their conceptual friendship expectations ; (b)Each 6 subvariables shows a strong main effect of grade and an interaction effect between friendship and grade. This interaction effect came from 6th graders, differentiations between friend and acquaintance is more apparent than others. This result has not been shown in previous researches, so more studies have to be done; (c)Variables such as play/association, prosocial behavior, intimacy, and information showed main effect of sex. Girls' rating is higher than boys' is the reason of this effect. And interaction effect between friendship and sex showed significant difference in loyalty and attachment. Girls' differentiation between friend and acquaintance is more apparent than boys' is the reason of this result.