Associations between interpersonal behavior and friendship quality in childhood and adolescence: A meta‐analysis

Abstract This meta‐analysis examined concurrent associations between aggression, withdrawal, assertion, and prosocial behavior and each of positive and negative friendship quality across studies with 22,657 children and adolescents ( M age = 11.71 years; 51.7% girls; 67.7% White). Studies were published between 1995 to 2021 and 32.4% were conducted outside of North America. Aggression was linked to more negative, = .19, 95% CI [.14, .24], and less positive, = −.05 [−.08, −.01], friendships. Withdrawal was associated with less positive friendships, = −.13 [−.18, −.08], whereas prosocial behavior was related to more positive, = .29 [.22, .37], as well as less negative, = −.16 [−.20, −.12], friendships. Assertion was related to more positive friendships, = .15 [.01, .28].