Relationship Development in Adolescence Psychology ATAR Unit 1

Relationship Development in Adolescence Psychology ATAR Unit 1

Relational Influences Young people move away from close relationships with their parents to form various kinds of relationships with their peers. Peers become very important and noticeable in adolescence, and often form peer groups.

Diversity in groups Dunphy engaged in participant observation, and identified important stages in group development amongst adolescents. • Cliques • Crowds • Dyads

Dunphy - adolescent groups 5 stages of adolescent crowd formation 1. Young people form unisex cliques 2. Unisex cliques interact to form crowds 3. High ranking members pair off and date (dyads form) 4. Fully developed crowd inc couples 5. Crowd starts to separate.

Dunphy’s stages Stage one: Cliques • 4 -10 members, unisex • Isolated from other cliques • Tight structure with an authority figure • Membership requires conformity to leader eg dress, interests • Similar rates of progress interacting with members of the opposite sex.

Example of a clique

Dunphy’s stages Stage 2: Crowd formation • Unisex cliques interact (with opposite sex) • Can only be in a crowd if you were already in a clique • Safety in numbers allows for banter/social interaction. • Spend time together on weekends.

Examples of crowds

Dunphy’s Stage 3: Dyad • High ranking members pair off and start dating

Dunphy’s Stage 4: Fully developed crowd • A number of couples plus heterosexual members of the group • No longer 2 cliques joined together, assimilated into one group.

Dunphy’s Stage 5: Group disintegration • Couples go their separate ways