Examining two types of best friendship dissolution during early adolescence

This study examined young adolescents' experiences with best friendship dissolution. Participants were 77 sixth-grade students (M age=11.63 years,SD=.36; 11.00-12.69 age range) who reported on past experiences with (1) complete dissolutions (when friendship ties are completely severed), and (2) downgrade dissolutions (when the best friendship dissolves but the adolescents become "good" friends). Self-report measures assessing emotional reactions (anger, sadness, happiness) to both types of dissolution, current best friendship involvement, and loneliness were also administered. Results indicated that downgrade dissolutions were more common than complete dissolutions and girls were more likely than boys to report both types of dissolution. Adolescents reported more sadness than anger about both types of dissolution. Adolescents who experienced downgrades and were currently without best friends reported greater loneliness than those who experienced downgrades but had current best friendships. Results suggest that dissolutions, and particularly downgrade dissolutions, during early adolescence warrant further investigation.