Asymmetrical balance of power in preadolescents' mutual friendships

Dyadic friendShip' asymmetry was examined in relation to gender, friendship quality, and friendship status. Sixty-nine grade five children and their mutual, same-sex, friends participated in a laboratory session comprised ofvarious activities and completed questionnaires to identify mutual friends and evaluate friendship quality. Asymmetry of power was assessed observationally during an origami task. Variations in balance of power were evident in children's friendships. Boys' dyads had significantly greater levels of asymmetry than girls' dyads. Regardless of gender, asymmetry was associated with lower friendship quality, particularly as indexed by validation and caring and conflict resolution. Asymmetry was unrelated to differences in friendship status. Furthermore, relative individual power within the friendship was not related to individual perceptions offriendship quality. The implications ofthese findings in the theoretical and empirical literature were considered and suggestions for future research were made.

Preadolescents' internet usage : psychosocial implications /

Preadolescent Internet usage is prevalent today. This thesis examined how Canadian preadolescents use the Internet, what they do when they are on the Internet, and why preadolescents are fascinated with the Internet. Eight quahtative categories were derived from the data. The categories are Downloading, Information Hunting, Consumerism, Virtual Nurturing, Gaming, Expressions of Violence, Chatting, and Music. By critically distilling and analyzing preadolescent Internet behaviour through the lens of behavioural and cognitive psychology, and explicating the amount of psychological, cognitive, and social learning that preadolescents may be exposed to on the Internet, and the attraction that is cumulatively a profound draw for a preadolescent audience, an argument will be made that Internet usage in preadolescents may impair their cognitive, social, and psychological development because of the impulse seeking and gratification priming that has been reinforced during the formative period of preadolescence.