Gender and friendship: relationships within peer groups of young children

Abstract We examined the influences of developing gender segregation on children's friendship maintenance in a longitudinal sample of 40 (17 girls) children who began their peer group experiences as infants. Friendships were behaviorally identified and social interaction was observed and rated six times between average age 16.3 months and average age 49.1 months. The proportion of cross‐gender friendships increased with age only when children formed friendships outside of the core group of peers with whom they had begun infant care. Girl‐girl and cross‐gender friendships were more likely to be maintained than boy‐boy friendships. Cross‐gender friends tended to be similar in gregariousness in both toddler and preschool periods, similar in hostile aggression as toddlers, and similar in withdrawn behavior as preschoolers. Same‐gender friends were not similar in social interaction style. Social skill similarity was generally more important as a basis for friendship in the toddler periods than in the preschool periods. However, cross‐gender friends tended to be similar in social skills throughout both the toddler and preschool periods.