Peer Relations in Long-Term Developmental Perspective

Presenter: Toon Cillessen, PhD, Professor, Developmental Psychology, Radboud University

Research on peer relationships is motivated by the assumption that peer relationships earlier in life have important implications for social adjustment, health, and well-being later in life (Bukowski, Laursen, & Rubin, 2018). This idea is also known as “the developmental significance of peer relationships” (Hartup, 1996, 2021), which states that youth who do well socially in interactions with peers early in life, will have healthier and happier lives later on, whereas those who are rejected, excluded, or victimized are more likely to encounter difficulties later in life (Bukowski et al., 2018; Parker & Asher, 1987). Yet, the explanations for the associations between early and later social success can be complex and the number of prospective longitudinal studies with follow-up data of childhood and adolescent peer relations into adulthood is limited. Dr. Toon Cillessen's presentation will address these issues and examine associations between measures of peer relationships in childhood and/or adolescence and adjustment outcomes in (young) adulthood from previous and current longitudinal studies.