Understanding how girls navigate friendships with boys during adolescence
Official title: Support in adolescents' cross-gender friendships: Understanding girls' disadvantage
Funded at University of Missouri-Columbia · NIH-10869696 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study looks at how girls and boys can be friends during their teenage years, focusing on how girls feel about these friendships and the support they give each other when sharing personal problems.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R03 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Missouri-Columbia NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Columbia, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2024 |
| Project end | July 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2024 |
| Award (this year) | $146,373 |
| NIH project number | 1R03HD114972-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-10869696 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for participation are adolescents aged 12 to 20 who have cross-gender friendships.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who do not have cross-gender friendships or are outside the age range of 12 to 20 may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates the dynamics of cross-gender friendships among adolescents, particularly focusing on how girls experience these relationships. By observing interactions between 60 pairs of cross-gender friends, the study aims to identify behaviors that contribute to positive perceptions of these friendships. Adolescents will disclose personal problems to their friends, allowing researchers to analyze the types of support provided. The findings could shed light on the unique challenges girls face in these friendships and how they can be better supported.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could enhance understanding of cross-gender friendships, leading to improved social support strategies for adolescents, particularly girls.
How similar studies have gone: While there has been extensive research on same-gender friendships, this focus on cross-gender friendships is relatively novel and has not been extensively studied.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Missouri-Columbia
Columbia, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Rose, Amanda J — University of Missouri-Columbia
- Study coordinator: Rose, Amanda J
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.