William Damon 1977

Robert Selman 1980

12+

• Friendships seen as deep, enduring relationships
• Mutual understanding and shared intimacies

12+

• Friendship without extreme intensity
• Autonomous independence

10-15

• Intimate relationship, very close
• Tends to jealousy and possessiveness - “an in-group of two”

8-11

• Friendships based on mutual shared interests
• Trust and responsiveness to other’s needs
• Kindness important component of friendship

7-12

• Reciprocal relationship with some idea of other person’s needs
• “Fair weather co-operation”

-7

• Child still egocentric - few feelings of like or dislike
• Friends just people child spends time with
• Friendships easily formed and dissolved - eg: if one child takes a toy from another

5-9

• Friend as one-way assistant to child’s needs
• Friend is someone who does something that pleases you

3-6

• Friend as partner in physical interaction