Abstract
In a naturalistic study of age segregation during adolescence, 403 adolescents making up 153 separate groups were observed in three high schools and seven out-of-school settings. Age segregation was extensive, especially in school, among older adolescents in same-sex groups of friends. More mixed-age association was observed out of school among younger adolescents who were in mixed-sex groups containing relatives. Adolescents were most often observed with friends who were other adolescents, next with adults, and least frequently observed with children. Parents, particularly fathers, were rarely present. It was suggested that age segregation during adolescence is the result of a lack of contact with relatives.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Barker, R. G., and Wright, H. F. (1955).Midwest and Its Children, Harper & Row, New York.
Berndt, T. J. (1979). Developmental changes in conformity to peers and parents.Dev. Psychol. 15: 608–616.
Bronfenbrenner, U. (1970).Two Worlds of Childhood: U.S. and U.S.S.R., Russell Sage, New York.
Bronfenbrenner, U. (1974). The origins of alienation.Sci. Am. 231: 53–61.
Campbell, E. Q. (1969). Adolescent socialization. In Goslin, D. A. (ed.),Handbook of Socialization Theory and Research, Rand McNally, Chicago.
Coleman, J. S. (1961).The Adolescent Society, Free Press, New York.
Coleman, J. S. (1974).Youth: Transition to Adulthood, University of Chicago Press, Chicago.
Demos, J., and Demos, V. (1969). Adolescence in historical perspective.J. Marr. Fam. 31: 632–638.
Douvan, E., and Adelson, J. (1966).The Adolescent Experience, Wiley, New York.
Ellis, S., Cromer, C. C., and Rogoff, B. (1979). Age-segregation of children. Paper presented at the biennial meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development, San Francisco, March.
Handlin, O., and Handlin, M. F. (1971).Facing Life: Youth and the Family in American History, Little, Brown, Boston.
Hartup, W. W. (1976). Cross-age versus same-age peer interaction: Ethological and cross-cultural perspectives. In Allen, V. L. (ed.),Children as Teachers: Theory and Research on Tutoring, Academic Press, New York.
Hartup, W. W. (1978). Children and Their Friends. In McGurk, H. (ed.),Issues in Childhood Social Development, Methuen, London.
Kett, J. (1977).Rites of Passage: Adolescence in America, 1790 to the Present, Basic Books, New York.
Whiting, B. B. (ed.) (1963).Six Cultures: Studies in Child Rearing, Wiley, New York.
Young, J. W., and Ferguson, L. R. (1979). Developmental changes through adolescence in the spontaneous nomination of reference groups as a function of decision content.J. Youth Adoles. 8: 239–252.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Received his Ph.D. from Michigan State University in 1974. Major research interest is parent-adolescent relations.
Major research interests are adolescence and clinical psychology.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Montemayor, R., Van Komen, R. Age segregation of adolescents in and out of school. J Youth Adolescence 9, 371–381 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02087675
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02087675