Adolescent girls' perceptions of conversations with mothers and friends

Early adolescent and middle adolescent girls (N = 56) had discussions with their mothers or close friends. They then listened to sections of their taped conversations and rated themselves and their partners on scales of anxiety, dominance, involvement, and friendliness. Objective listeners also rated the same conversations. Results indicated that conversations with friends were rated by girls and outside listeners as more involved and friendly than were conversations with mothers. Girls and their friends were rated as equally anxious and friendly by both groups of raters, but girls were rated as more anxious and less friendly than their mothers. Early adolescents' conversations with mothers and friends were rated as equally friendly, but middle adolescents' conversations with friends were rated as more friendly than conversations with mothers.