Judgment Biases and Characteristics of Friendships of Mexican American and Anglo-American Girls and Boys

Abstract

Gender and ethnic patterns in ratings and assessments of four dimensions of friendship qualities were investigated (emotional attachment, support, shared activities, and conflicts) with 122 Anglo-American and Mexican American early adolescents (63 girls; mean age 10.36 years), as were links between ratings and assessments. Participants named a favorite friend, rated their perceptions of the hypothetical behaviors of that friend or an unfamiliar peer in scenarios that varied by actor’s intention and outcome of the actor’s behavior on the participant, and completed two measures designed to assess friendship quality. Girls, but not boys, rated friends’ behaviors as more positive than the similar behaviors of unfamiliar peers and reported higher levels of attachment and support in their friendships. Similar rating patterns were found for Anglo-American and Mexican American participants. In addition, ratings of friends’ behaviors in scenarios that presented neutral intentions were correlated with the level of emotional attachment reported in the friendship.