“Very Important Persons” in adolescence: going beyond in-school, single friendships in the study of peer homophily

• Published in: Journal of adolescence Vol. 27; no. 5; pp. 545 - 560
• Main Authors: Kiesner, Jeff, Kerr, Margaret, Stattin, Håkan
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.10.2004; Elsevier; Elsevier Science; John Wiley & Sons, Inc
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adolescents; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Antisocial Behavior; Behavior; Biological and medical sciences; Child; Data Collection; Deviant Behavior; Female; Foreign Countries; Friends; Friendship; Gender Differences; Homosexuality; Humans; Individual Differences; Interpersonal Relationships; Intimacy; Male; Medical sciences; Peer Group; Peer Influence; Peer Relations; Peer Relationship; Peer relationships; Peers; Psychology; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Psykologi; SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP; Significant Others; Similarity bias; Social behavior disorders. Criminal behavior. Delinquency; Social Development; SOCIAL SCIENCES; Socialvetenskap; Sweden; Teenagers; Urban Population; Sweden; Human; Social influence; Peer relation; Social interaction; Adolescent; Romantic love; Risk factor; Familial relation; Sibling; Social behavior disorder
• ISSN: 0140-1971; 1095-9254; 1095-9254
• DOI: 10.1016/j.adolescence.2004.06.007

Using a sample of 1227 Swedish adolescents we examined peer relations across contexts and for multiple peer targets (three “Very Important Persons”, VIPs). Specifically, we examined the relations between antisocial behaviour and the types of relationships individuals had with their VIPs (e.g. friend, romantic partner), the contexts in which they had met, and where they spent time (e.g. school, neighbourhood, club). Additionally, we tested an “additive homophily” hypothesis, or the idea that youths would show unique similarities to multiple peers. Results showed that individuals who nominated romantic partners as their first VIPs were the most antisocial (both boys and girls), and individuals who had met and spent time with their first VIPs in the neighbourhood were also the most antisocial. Similar results were found for the antisocial behaviour of the first VIP. Finally, results supported the additive homophily hypothesis, showing that significantly more variance in individual behaviour is explained when including second and third VIPs.