Even though the relevance of intimate friendships has been studied as a promoting factor for wellbeing and social adjustment during adolescence, it is not clear which are the variables that facilitate intimate friendships. This study contributes with new evidence about the role of empathy in improving the establishment of intimate friendships, using the interpersonal intimacy model (Reis & Shaver, 1988) as a reference theory, which proposes that intimacy is generated and established through disclosure of personal experiences with friends. This study is not experimental, and the sample corresponds to preadolescents and adolescents from 10 to 19 years old. Through SEM analysis the hypothesized model was tested and confirmed, showing that cognitive and affective empathy were significant predictors of disclosure, and that disclosure was a significant predictor of intimacy. Also, mediational effects were calculated, identifying an indirect effect of empathy on intimacy, through disclosure. Results are discussed considering the processes through which intimacy is sustained in adolescence, and how empathy may be an explicative factor in this process.
Keywords:
adolescence, friendship, intimacy, socio-emotional skills, peer relationships, SEM
Brotfeld, C., & Berger, C. (2020). The Role of Empathy and Self-disclosure in the Intimacy of Adolescent Friendships. Revista De Psicología, 29(2). https://doi.org/10.5354/0719-0581.2020.52231
Twitter