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How girls and boys expect disclosure about problems will make them feel: implications for friendships

Publication ,  Journal Article
Rose, AJ; Schwartz-Mette, RA; Smith, RL; Asher, SR; Swenson, LP; Carlson, W; Waller, EM
Published in: Child Development
2012

Although girls disclose to friends about problems more than boys, little is known about processes underlying this sex difference. Four studies (Ns=526, 567, 769, 154) tested whether middle childhood to mid-adolescent girls and boys (ranging from 8 to 17 years old) differ in how they expect that talking about problems would make them feel. Girls endorsed positive expectations (e.g., expecting to feel cared for, understood) more strongly than boys. Despite common perceptions, boys did not endorse negative expectations such as feeling embarrassed or worried about being made fun of more than girls. Instead, boys were more likely than girls to expect to feel "weird" and like they were wasting time. Sex differences in outcome expectations did help to account for girls' greater disclosure to friends. © 2012 The Authors. Child Development © 2012 Society for Research in Child Development, Inc.

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Published In

Child Development

DOI

ISSN

0009-3920

Publication Date

2012

Volume

83

Start / End Page

844 / 863

Related Subject Headings

  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Stress, Psychological
  • Sex Factors
  • Psychometrics
  • Peer Group
  • Male
  • Humans
  • Friends
  • Female
  • Emotions
 

Citation

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Rose, A. J., Schwartz-Mette, R. A., Smith, R. L., Asher, S. R., Swenson, L. P., Carlson, W., & Waller, E. M. (2012). How girls and boys expect disclosure about problems will make them feel: implications for friendships. Child Development, 83, 844–863. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8624.2012.01734.x
Rose, A. J., R. A. Schwartz-Mette, R. L. Smith, S. R. Asher, L. P. Swenson, W. Carlson, and E. M. Waller. “How girls and boys expect disclosure about problems will make them feel: implications for friendships.” Child Development 83 (2012): 844–63. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8624.2012.01734.x.
Rose AJ, Schwartz-Mette RA, Smith RL, Asher SR, Swenson LP, Carlson W, et al. How girls and boys expect disclosure about problems will make them feel: implications for friendships. Child Development. 2012;83:844–63.
Rose, A. J., et al. “How girls and boys expect disclosure about problems will make them feel: implications for friendships.” Child Development, vol. 83, 2012, pp. 844–63. Manual, doi:10.1111/j.1467-8624.2012.01734.x.
Rose AJ, Schwartz-Mette RA, Smith RL, Asher SR, Swenson LP, Carlson W, Waller EM. How girls and boys expect disclosure about problems will make them feel: implications for friendships. Child Development. 2012;83:844–863.
Journal cover image

Published In

Child Development

DOI

ISSN

0009-3920

Publication Date

2012

Volume

83

Start / End Page

844 / 863

Related Subject Headings

  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Stress, Psychological
  • Sex Factors
  • Psychometrics
  • Peer Group
  • Male
  • Humans
  • Friends
  • Female
  • Emotions