Adolescent friendship pairs: Similarities in identity status development behaviors, attitudes, and intentions

A total of 1,159 high school students (Grades Ia through 12) responded to a questionnaire designed to assess best friends' similarities in identity status (EOM-EIS) and related behaviors, attitudes, and intentions. Mutually identified best friends, nonmutually identified best friends, and randomly paired nonfriends (each n = 198 pairs) were identified to test hypotheses concerning friendship similarities. Tests of similarity indicated that mutually indentified best friends shared distinct similarities in ego identity. Similarity indicators were greater for measures of ego identify in specific content areas than gor the global identity status levels or the interpersonal and ideological domains. In addition mutually identified best friends were move similar than were nonfriends on many behaviors, attitudes, and intentions that were expected to be related to ego identity. Results replicate those of existing investigations of friendship, attitude and behavioral characteristics and extend friendship similarities into psychosocial contexts.